Five Steps to Slow Climate Change

We all know industry does a great deal to spur climate change, but, how can we as individuals, and, as voters stop the pollution causing the atmospheric changes?  If we look at just a few of the man-made contributions to the greenhouse effect which is the impetus of climate change, increased CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide, there is a lot that individuals and legislators can do. The overall problem is extensive and global and needs to be addressed from all angles. But one of those angles is individual responsibility and another is public policy. These two can combine forces to protect our atmosphere from the blanket of warmth caused by greenhouse gases that don't allow adequate heat to escape.

1. Avoid buying meat products. The methane from CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) is excessive due to the many animals raised in very small areas. Policy sought: Legislative actions such as eliminating all Farm Bill subsidies (including the new insurance oriented subsidies) to those operating such facilities. They are not a charity and are not worthy of federal corporate welfare. Enforce and strengthen animal cruelty regulations, impose safe food requirements including banning antibiotic and hormone use, require further distances from people and towns. Policies should encourage old-fashioned outdoor grazing on small farms. And laws should require polluters to pay all damages ranging from pollution to nuisance for smells etc. such that running CAFOs is not profitable.

2. Demand safe drinking water. We have all heard that hydraulic fracturing ("fracking" or unconventional natural gas extraction) has poisoned drinking water with methane and chemicals. But this is the least of its environmental problems. Because of the large amount of water and other fluids, sand and chemicals trucked in, the diesel fuel used daily at fracking sites its unconscionable. For natural gas which is supposed to eventually be piped to markets, millions of gallons of water (in trucks that hold only 3000 gallons each), and huge amounts of piping, sand and chemicals are all delivered to the sites by trucks causing significant emissions and CO2. Then, there is the methane and chemical escape from the overflow and evaporation of impoundment ponds and the several million cubic feet of gas that are released into the atmosphere before the line is hooked up upon retrieving the methane. Fracking is high volume. Often one well is fracked ten times and eight wells are on a single pad covering a huge underground area. Between the CO2 from the process and trucks and the methane itself, this is not a solution to our energy problems. Legislative policy sought: Don't let your state allow it! Enforce environmental laws and remove the oil and gas industry exceptions currently in place. Push for serious caps on emissions from trucks and on non-renewable energy.

3. Avoid items grown with synthetic fertilizer. These fertilizers are high in nitrogen and release nitrous oxide into the atmosphere. They encourage plants to grow faster but with fewer minerals and a more watery composition, they change the very nature of the plant. They are chemicals being sprayed all over your food and there are obvious documented health reasons to avoid them. Their run-off creates dead-zones in oceans and is hazardous to drinking water. Legislative policy: Those producing, selling, and using synthetic fertilizers should be held responsible for any environmental damages. Those using synthetic fertilizers contributing documented amounts of environmental damage must be fined. Then, a phase-out while differently balanced fertilizers or natural ones are substituted. Synthetic fertilizer use is already banned in organic foods.

4. Avoid plastic grocery bags and water bottles. Millions of barrels of oil are used to make plastic bags each year contributing to CO2 in the atmosphere. The trash itself created by the bags being disposed of leads to square miles of plastics in our oceans, 42 times as much plastic as plankton. San Francisco banned the sale of plastic water bottles on city owned property in a landmark decision by its Board of Supervisors sparking some ridicule ("that is so San Francisco") but marking a great leap toward protecting the environment. Legislative policy sought: more similar bans.

5. Choose your food, drinks and containers wisely. Protect our forests. Deforestation due to food products like palm fruit oil is becoming problematic. Generally, your CO2 footprint overall from the food you buy includes packaging materials (whether paper or plastic), bags, shipping materials (to you or to the store),and trucking and other transportation fuel. Eating as many locally grown foods that are grown without synthetic fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides is clearly best for the environment. Carrying a glass water bottle and reusable coffee cup helps to avoid the environmentally hazardous heaping trash problem but also protects your health by limiting exposure to plastics. Support laws that encourage natural farming and organics.