Before discussing the effects and steps to stop climate change, we might want first to understand fully the meaning of climate change. It would because we may interchange the use of climate change from global warming and/or other terms that we might think of the same. According to the definition given in http://www.grinningplanet.com/2007/01-02/global-warming-vs-climate-change.htm, global warming is an over-all warming of the planet while climate change only happens on a certain region. In this sense, global warming would possibly focused on the temperature of the world while climate change would deal with humidity, wind, and all the aspects that may affect the climate. Climate change is a long term shift and global warming is only a type of climate change as stated in http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-climate-change-and-global-warming.htm. Also as what the site, http://www.gcrio.org/gwcc/misconceptions.html, stated that there were a lot of misconceptions about climate change.
1.Climate change and the loss of the ozone layer are pretty much the same thing.
Fact: Climate change and the loss of the ozone layer are two different problems that are not very closely connected.
2.Aerosol spray cans are a major contributor to climate change.
Fact: Using aerosol spray cans has almost no effect on climate change.
3.General pollution and toxic chemicals are major contributors to climate change.
Fact: Most forms of pollution play little or no role in climate change. The invisible carbon dioxide released when coal, oil, and gas are burned is the single most important contributor to climate change.
4.The space program is a major contributor to climate change because it punches holes in the atmosphere.
Fact: The space program has almost no effect on climate change. The local changes rockets make in the atmosphere soon disappear.
5.Using nuclear power causes climate change
Fact: Nuclear power does not contribute to climate change. If nuclear power is used instead of coal or oil, it will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. “Renewable energy” sources, such as solar power, can also reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
In my capacity as an IT student with regards to the biggest contribution to the unstoppable climate change due to technological enhancements, I need to develop something that will enable us to be protected from all sorts of hazardous innovations which would endanger and would damage the environment. These problems arise because technology was used inappropriately by us. The term information technology has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term has become recognizable. The information technology umbrella is quite large, and is covering almost all fields that we know. Information Technology professionals perform variety of duties that range from creating, developing and/or enhancing systems, ideas, technologies, and also from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of the entire system time properly. Also, to consume time properly for worthy things as the term information technology is concerned.
“Large, abrupt, and widespread climate changes with major impacts have occurred repeatedly in the past, when the Earth system was forced across thresholds. Although abrupt climate changes can occur for many reasons, it is conceivable that human forcing of climate change is increasing the probability of large, abrupt events.” (http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/299/5615/2005)
To take one of this example in a factory who manufactures units or items that could damage our climate due to wear and tear. Some factories or industries create their products that could be easily worn out so that consumers would always purchase their products and they would gain more profit form it. Those worn out products would eventually thrown to garbages which would add to the environmental problem of the world. Why not change or use something that will lessen the waste that it could produce.
Most people think that the word “innovation” evokes images of inventors, new technologies and new products. Iconic image comes to mind – the model T, airplanes, computers, rockets, radios, TVs, cellphones and a lot more. The list is endless and the main impact of these devices on the development of the modern world has been tremendous. Society would not be what it is today without the progressive development of science and technology but these would also eventually lead to destruction if not properly utilized. Technology runs in the veins of the society, it is the fuel that drives our lives. It is also an integral part of our daily lives. Not only that, it has definitely benefited the society. The automation has brought the luxury in the lives of common men. That would mean that technology saved a lot of human efforts and time to a large extent. It has brought distant places closer and simplified information dissemination and access.
Technology has automated many of the critical processes in the industry as well the household. The electronic gadgets that have entered the homes of the common man have saved him from the daily household work.
The automobile industry and technology are almost interwoven. Times have witnessed this industry evolve from mechanical scooters to automated aircrafts. Animals were the only modes of transport in the olden days. Technology was the driving force behind the creation and design of the modern-day automobiles. Bicycles evolved into scooters and sports bikes. The idea of having four-wheeled modes of transport gave rise to the creation of cars. Modes of air and water transport came up, thanks to technology.
Machines have automated many of the crucial industrial processes. Machines are now taking up many of the mundane jobs that were once executed by human workers. Technology has evolved to an extent where machines can perform tasks that are physically inaccessible to man. The use of advanced technologies like robotics and artificial intelligence has proved helpful in life-risking tasks like mining and space exploration.
The computer technology, needless to say, has changed the face of the world. Computers can store, organize and manage huge amounts of data. They can process large amounts of information. Computers have given rise to the software industry, one of the most progressive industries of the world. The Internet that seeded from the computer networking concepts is the most effective communication platform and the largest information base existing today.
The Internet has brought an important positive change to the entertainment and advertising industry. Advertisements can reach the masses within seconds over the Internet. The entertainment media has progressed only because of the advancements in technology.
The digitization of information has made it possible for us to store it in a compact form. Digitization enriches the quality of information storage. Digital voice and digital images are of a higher quality. Digital cameras and digital television provide their users with an enriched picture quality, thus bettering their experience with technology.
Cellular communication has revolutionized the communication industry. The conventional telephone, also a piece of technology, was one of the earliest technological developments in communication. Mobile phones have broadened the horizons of communication by enabling convenient long-distance calling.
Satellite communication is another important dimension of technology. Satellite TVs and satellite radios have eased the broadcasting of events across the globe.
These were only a few of the fields influenced by technology. It is almost impossible to enlist all the positive effects of technology on society. This was just a glimpse of the real big picture.
Technology is constantly changing, and it is changing us as well. In the past, some of these changes have been difficult to cope with. In the future, these changes are going to be happening faster, with less time to prepare. Unless we are well informed of the consequences, we will make the wrong choices, and our technology will destroy us.
It is truly good that we know the important and/or beneficial effects that these technologies brought us. But did we ever think of those bad effects that may occur when we patronize it. Even though automobile technology is very useful but it is the most common contributor to climate change. It maybe not clearly visible right now, it contributes to climate change little by little. But, in the near future we would suffer the consequences that we neglected.
We should act now before it is too late. http://earth911.com/blog/2007/04/02/what-can-i-do-to-help-prevent-climate-change/ stated that the three major areas that we should consider so that the emission of carbon would be lessen are the following:
electricity we use in our homes
the waste we produce
the transportation we choose to use
As we all see, these deals with our common needs in our daily living. Even just lighting our rooms contributes greatly to our problem to our environment. Also according to the same source above, it enumerated top ten basic steps to help stop the fast changing climate change.
Change a light. Replacing a regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent one saves 150 pounds of carbon dioxide each year
Drive less. Walk, bike, carpool, take mass transit, and/or trip chain. All of these things can help reduce gas consumption and one pound of carbon dioxide for each mile you do not drive.
Recycle more and buy recycled. Save up to 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide each year just by recycling half of your household waste. By recycling and buying products with recycled content you also save energy, resources and landfill space!
Check your tires. Properly inflated tires mean good gas mileage. For each gallon of gas saved, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide are also never produced.
Use less hot water. It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Reducing the amount used means big savings in not only your energy bills, but also in carbon dioxide emissions. Using cold water for your wash saves 500 pounds of carbon dioxide a year, and using a low flow showerhead reduces 350 pounds of carbon dioxide. Make the most of your hot water by insulating your tank and keeping the temperature at or below 120.
Avoid products with a lot of packaging. Preventing waste from being created in the first place means that there is less energy wasted and fewer resources consumed. When you purchase products with the least amount of packaging, not only do you save money, but you also help the environment! Reducing your garbage by 10% reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 1,200 pounds.
Adjust your thermostat. Keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees in winter and 78 degrees in summer not only helps with your energy bills, but it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions as well. No matter where you set your dial, two degrees cooler in the winter or warmer in the summer can mean a reduction of 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
Plant a tree. A single tree can absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
Turn off electronic devices when not in use. Simply turning off your TV, VCR, computer and other electronic devices can save each household thousand of pounds of carbon dioxide each year.
Stay informed. Use the Earth 911 Web site to help stay informed about environmental issues, and share your knowledge with others. Together, we can and do Make Every Day Earth Day!
The last step is very common, even though it is promoting its site but it is for the better. We should use our technologies wisely. Be informed and inform others to make the steps faster. These steps are useful and common enough that we neglect and forget about it. Even though we know that it is the right way, it is our stubbornness that rules. This is very common to most people.
In a whole, carbon is the main cause of climate change. In this sense, we should limit the use of things that are made up or uses carbon. Using the primitive ways would be better if we want to stop climate change. By just following the steps above would not hurt us even a bit instead we would be living in a nice and beautiful world just like before.