As 2013 begins, I’ve been mulling over events from last year and decisions to be made in the next 12 months, some of which involve things like energy sources and new places to live and even automobiles. And I’ve been hearing a lot about alternative energy and fracking and average temperatures, among other topics. I try to make good environmental choices in my daily life, but sometimes I feel like it’s difficult to find the information you need in order to make good choices. I feel pretty confident that I know some of the things to look for when I’m at the grocery store, and I realize that a general reduction in use of energy and ‘stuff’ is bound to be helpful, but what about other situations, for example with clothing or electronics or roofing materials?
Is this beautiful sunset caused by water vapor in the air or dust or something man-made?
We hear often about greenhouse gases and efforts to reduce emissions; I’ve come across comparisons of methane and carbon dioxide, but I feel uninformed in general about the state of our air and how I can directly help to improve it. How do pollution levels today compare with those from the last several decades? Where are the hot spots? When I breathe in, how much of what I inhale is man-made? If we take my heating and driving out of the equation, what are the biggest ways that I contribute to poor air quality and high levels of greenhouse gases? When I hear comparisons of oil and gas emissions, do those include all aspects of production or just the final step of heating my home?
In 2013 I’ll be moving south to a more urban location, which should offer opportunities to reduce my footprint, but it would be great if I had ideas beyond ‘take the bus.’ And I’m pretty sure I’ll be getting a new car at some point- obviously, I’ll look at gas mileage, but are there other considerations I should know about? And as much as I depend upon it every moment of every day, I know that I don’t pay nearly the same attention to the state of the atmosphere as I do to the oceans and landmasses.
So my resolution for this year has two parts, both of which will figure into this month’s posts: 1) I want to be more informed about how I can change the way in which my daily activities impact the planet, and 2) I want to give the air I breathe the attention it deserves. This month I’ll be concentrating on the latter, especially the issue of greenhouse gases and my personal contribution to them. If, like me, you feel that you don’t always know how to make the best environmental choices when it comes to the atmosphere, hopefully I’ll be able to give you a place to start.