Just like many other global subjects, the present environmental situation is one of those topics which are SEPs or 'somebody else's problem' - to borrow a phrase from Douglas Adams. Whether the size of the task is so big that we are just not able to understand the full implication, or whether we feel that our little efforts will have such a tiny impact on the global situation that they will be worthless is hard to say.
However, if we all take on board the responsibility for making sure that we no longer waste so much of the planet's resources, then together we can ensure a more positive future for all of us. One way to reduce our carbon footprint is to convert to renewable energy where possible. If we as individuals take the decision to reduce our own carbon footprints then this equates to an impact on a global scale.
A great example of an individual who has started to use renewable energy is that of a farmer, who, rather contrarily, grows tomatoes all the year round in several giant heated greenhouses. Now, on the face of it, there is one individual who is going right against nature and using up a lot of resources for his own personal gain. Not a bit of it!
He has employed some unique lateral thinking and has actually adapted his whole farming technique so that he uses completely sustainable energy. He gets tons of fruit and vegetables which are thrown out by the local supermarkets and ferments them in giant slushy containers. A high-technology plant is used to trap the resulting methane which is burned to provide the extra heat needed to heat his greenhouses.
"But what about all that carbon dioxide?" I hear you techno-savvy readers cry. "Isnt that one of the main culprits of global warming?" Well, it is true, that burning methane (CH4), does produce a lot of CO2. He uses this extra carbon dioxide by-product to help his tomatoes to grow. He pumps it into the greenhouses to help them photosynthesize. The growing plants turn it back into oxygen.
This is just one example of someone who has given a few moment's thought and turned a huge scary problem into a neat solution. Just think of the alternative. Year-round heating of huge glass-framed structures; buying imported CO2 -it makes you shudder to even think about it!
We are all searching for ways to lessen our impact on the environment and do our bit for the planet. The best ways to achieve this are by taking small steps and doing things that are achievable and realistic.
http://www.greenysearch.com is an environmentally friendly website that lets you take one of these small achievable steps right now. It's a browser powered by Google but with a dark page background. This causes your monitor to emit less light, reduces your electricity bill and saves the environment all in one. Just set it as your home page and you will save the environment every time you search. Try it now and see how easy it is to do your bit
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