Environment Citizen Committee

As global citizens, we have the duty to protect our Earth from danger, even if that danger is us. Since the industrial revolution, humans have caused more environmental damage than all of history combined! However, we are beginning to recognize our mistakes and doing our best to fix them; more people and businesses are going green than ever before. By reducing our carbon footprint, we can sustain our beautiful environment for years to come.
But what is a “carbon footprint” exactly? How does one become “green”? We hear these terms thrown around in the media a lot with no sufficient explanation. We at Environmental Citizens aim to spread information to our fellow citizens so we can go forth and improve our world together.
Our carbon footprint is the impact humans have on their environment in terms of how many greenhouse gasses they produce, measured in units of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the most prominent greenhouse gas and one of the major causes of global warming. Studies have shown that global warming has visibly-reduced ice caps, affected animal populations and significantly raised our planet’s average temperature at an alarming rate.
Global warming is caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from our factories, automobiles and other technology. CO2 is a gas naturally-found in the Earth’s atmosphere, but only in small quantities (.04%). This compound works a little like tinted a one-way mirror; as infrared rays from the sun enter our atmosphere, many become reflected from the Earth’s surface. The CO2 then absorbs some of them these rays, thereby trapping in heat and using it to blanket the planet. When there is too much CO2 in our atmosphere, it absorbs too many rays – which raises the temperature significantly and causes the greenhouse effect.
Despite the sobering evidence, there are still skeptics who believe global warming is untrue, or just some ploy to curb industry. It is true that our planet has been through periods of heating/cooling, but it has never happened as rapidly or drastically as it has over the last 100 years. We do not promote curbing industry, only finding environmentally-friendly alternatives to CO2 emissions. By acting responsibly, we can all do our part to preserve our environment for future generations.
What does going “green” mean? People or businesses with any attitude concerning global environmental protection, bioregionalism, or social responsibility are considered green. The term has become a buzzword; restaurants, business, and manufacturers brandish the label to appeal to us. Thankfully, it’s a label that is beginning to make a difference in what we purchase and support.
We are here to inform citizens how they can make changes on personal, local, national, and global levels. It is possible! If enough individuals care enough to make a change, then as a whole we can change the world. If enough people offset their carbon emissions, use solar panels and solar power in their own homes, write to their senators and representatives asking for change, etc., the world could be a very different place.

Al Gore continues to make a positive impact and encourages others to do so as well:

http://www.algore.com/index2.html
http://www.virginearth.com/

Enviromental Forums

EnviroCitizen.org- Forums – Learn more about solar power; share your experiences with solar panels; get advice on do-it-yourself projects; and more.

 

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For more information:

Representative contact info

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Energy Star

Carbon counter

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Green Tags USA

Carbon Fund

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