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The cycle of waste, consumption and production that we drive can be altered by stopping and rethinking how we approach our daily lives. Using the contents of a Greensender box is one of many ways to begin doing that.
The impact of using things like energy efficient lightbulbs and reusable bottles and bags is twofold.
First, they reduce the amount of consumption for which each of us is responsible. And while it’s difficult to quantify the reduced consumption, the tables below provide some sense of the very dramatic savings that could be realized if all of us took the simple step to stop using plastic water bottles, plastic grocery bags and traditional lightbulbs. |
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Sources: Consumer Recycling Institute, New York Times, energystar.gov, Union of Concerned Scientists, City of San Francisco,
Sierra Pacific Power, Fast Company magazine
Second, using these lightbulbs, bottles and bags can have a real impact on the way we think and act. As we begin to use these items and they become part of our everyday life, they serve as reminders of the environmental challenges we face and reminders of our personal responsibility and ability to effect positive change. These reminders and the potential for them to prompt additional action may be the greatest impact of Greensender boxes.
The subject of environmental challenges is a monster. Lots of science and lots of interconnected pieces. It’s a subject about which Greensender is not qualified to serve as an authority. To get a richer understanding of these issues, you should seek other sources of information. But the extraordinarily simplified view of the situation is as follows: |
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The earth is getting hotter
and dirtier. |
Global warming and
mass pollution. |
Rethinking our daily actions. |
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| The earth’s atmosphere continues to heat up and we’re polluting our land and waterways at an alarming rate. |
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The heightened temperature of the earth’s atmosphere or global warming is caused by the greenhouse effect exceeding normal levels. The primary cause of this is a build-up of greenhouse gases that is due, in great part, to carbon emissions. |
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We must adopt practices that result in us reducing our consumption and reducing our individual carbon footprints; which are measured in pounds of carbon. These steps won’t solve all of our environmental problems but taking personal responsibility is an important step in getting started. |
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| global warming: The rising temperature of the earth’s atmosphere caused by an unnatural increase in the greenhouse effect. |
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| greenhouse effect: The process by which greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere trap the heat from the sun that is radiated outward after it is reflected from the surface of the earth. |
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| greenhouse gases: A naturally occurring presence of gases in the atmosphere required to keep the earth warm enough to be inhabitable. (Greenhouse gases are only harmful when they reach a level that traps an excess amount of heat). |
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| carbon emissions: The release of CO2 into the atmosphere that is created by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. |
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| pounds of carbon: The measure used to quantify carbon emissions. (The activities of the average person in the United States produces 15,000 pounds of carbon every year.) |
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| carbon footprint: A term used to describe a person or organization’s amount of carbon emissions. |
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