Why do you care about climate change and what are you doing to reduce your impact on the environment?

Question

Hi, my name is Cate Blanchett and I’m working with the Australian Conservation Foundation to promote Who On Earth Cares, a new campaign bringing together all who are concerned about climate change.

If you care about climate change, I urge you visit http://www.whoonearthcares.com and put yourself on the map.

I am looking forward to reading your responses.

Additional Details

For more information about the Who on Earth Cares campaign and to see me asking this question on video visit the Yahoo!7 Answers blog - http://au.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-txN._0…

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Hello! I just put myself on the map! That's cool!

My answer is I care about Climate Change because I don't want it to keep getting hotter every year! If recent weather patterns aren't enough of an indicator that we need to address this issue then I don't know what is!

Ok so what am I doing? Well we wear jumpers at home instead of turning the heater on and I hang my laundry on the line whenever I can. My husband and I also try to buy organic because the farming processes are generally better for the environment.

Bye!

Answer 2

well the thing about climate change is that it is a neverending cycle. this exact thing happened 80 000 years ago. earth gets hotter,ice caps melt cause enviromental problems thn a ice age sets in. then earth warms up again and it stats over. the only problem though is that we are speeding up the process in turn so it happens alot faster. i could go on about all the hippcrites in todays world but i wont(like that icland stunt? i wonder how much greenhouse gases they sent into the atmosphere just getting the people there!) but what i do is simple. plant more err plants in the garden(photosystesis) cacth the bus when i can and like a few other people wear a jumper instaead of a heater. aslo were getting a electirc car which will be usefull as there is a down play in emiisions of gasses. so i care about climate change but not enought to actually become a hippe and try and blackout the world
thanks for the time

Answer 3

Read George Monbiot's 'Heat' - it will have a lot of suggestions.

I am doing my bit by walking to work, not supporting nuclear power and not having children.

Answer 4

I don't give a crap on climate change and I am doing the following:

- Driving a Dodge Durango
- Eating as much meat as possible
- Beans. Lots of them.
- Light up the fireplace!
- Removing the small forest in my backyard for a parking space

Global warming is a total hoax and climate change is nothing to worry about. My parents remember times in the 1960's when "Global Cooling" was happening. I don't give a shizz about climate change and it would be nice if everyone could realize truth.

Answer 5

I am an ecologist and have been working in nature conservation for most of my life.
I care very much for the environment and have been recycling since it started with paper in the 1970's. I abhor waste and use my resources with care.
I did not give man made global warming much thought and just went along with what was in the media. About 6 years ago I went to Antarctica and was told by the scientists working there that the continent was getting colder, only the peninsular (3% of the land area) was getting warmer due to changes in sea currents. When I returned home I started to look seriously at the topic, reading the scientific literature rather than the mainstream media. The more I read, and spoke with colleagues, the more convinced I became that the anthropogenic global warming hypothesis was NOT correct.
Climate change is a natural phenomena and man's contribution is at most fractional. We have the politics driving the science, when it should be the other way around. I understand that even the IPCC is distancing itself from Al Gore and amongst the scientific community he is just an embarrassment with his gross exaggerations, apocalyptic visions of catastrophe just around the corner and his insistence of still using data that has been shown to be false.
In my travel around the world looking for various populations of insects, I have seen that when a previously recorded population no longer exists, the reason is nearly always the same, ie. the site has been taken over for use by man. Either cleared for agriculture, commercial, residential or industrial buildings, roads or car parks. With the population doubling every 50 years or so. Anybody who truly cares for the environment should be campaigning for population controls

Answer 6

I have started a website portal which encourages people to rent things from each other rather than buy them. reduced consumption will result in reduced carbon emissions. The web address is www.rentoid.com

It's free to join and list as many items as you please. I hope other people who care about the environment will embrace the idea.
Steve.

Answer 7

Hi, My name is San San, a girl aged 25. I am living in the most polluted city in planet, Hong Kong. As Tim Flannery, the well known scientist in global climate reserach described once in his website about the quality of Hong Kong air is the most polluted on earth. Hong Kong has the summer all year round. It seems I can wear skirts from January to December in Hong Kong. Where is the winter?The traffic flow in Hong Kong is about 400 hundred cars per kilometer. I think the Hong Kong government should legislate laws for car engines and allowable fuels used in the city. There are only two public buses in Hong Kong with Europ 4 engines that European countries have already obsoleted it now and will use Europe 5 engine to replace it. Hong Kong is a political messy society where the politicians don't care about the poor and the publics at large. All they care about is the property development and stock markets. Ther's no pension payment to senior citizens who reached 65, except the fruit fund of less than equivalent to one hundredUS dollars per month. Many senior citizens in Hong Kong are starving!!! The two power generating stations using fossil fuel is illegal and harmful to Hong Kong residents. You should read this wehttps://www.clsa.com/public/library/pdf/…

Answer 8

Of course I care about climate change! I have two young sons and I feel it's partly my responsibility to contribute to a better world for them to grow up in.
I don't own a tumble drier, I hang all of the washing outside. The water heater only goes on when it's needed, and that basically amounts two a couple of hours a night for washing up and bathtimes. Everything that can be is recycled. I don't have a car, we either walk or take public transport everyday. We even do little things that don't make a huge impact, but could do potentially if more people did the same. Things like buying energy efficient lightbulbs, rechargeable batteries, only boiling enough water for whatever you need, that kind of thing.
As I said at the beginning, I have two young children who are going to eventually going to head out into the big wide world, and I, along with every other parent, owe it to them to make sure they have a great world to go out into.

Answer 9

I don't, and I'm doing nothing!

When governments start tackling the problem on a global scale - when China stops building dozens of fossil-fuel power stations per year, when the USA has a president that isn't completely in thrall to the oil industry, then maybe my individual efforts would count for something. Until then, anything you or I do is completely tokenistic and apart from giving you a warm fussy feeling of self-righteousness, achieves nothing.

Answer 10

I care about climate change because I should. As human beings it's our responsibility to take care of our planet... nobody else will.
Even people on a tight budget such as myself can help the earth. I am a Greenpeace rainbow warrior - I donate to them monthly. It's not expensive and it's tax deductible.
We don't own a car - that's less pollution for the planet and more money for us.
We also use energy saving appliances and light bulbs and earth friendly everyday products.

Answer 11

I'll do my bit - but I am not modifying my lifestyle to my personal disadvantage for "Green" reasons. I'll drive and fly and keep warm/cool for my own comfort first. But I'll obey the law.

it's up to Governments to get their acts together more than it is for individuals like me...

Answer 12

I care because of my children and grandchildren. It probably won't affect me too much in view of my age. I recycle as much as I can. I avoid wasting power. I don't go in planes very often (once in 10 years). I use the eco cycles on my washing machine and dishwasher and I avoid using both unless I can make a full load. I have a 4X4 but I drive it gently so as not to use too much fuel and give off too many emissions.

Answer 13

Climate change is not about now it's about what the world will be like for future generations after the current one has done with it. If the Government is really sincere about our impact on the climate then they need to be more pro-active by subsidising solar power to all households making it virtually free to convert. Improve public transport by making it safe, convenient and a pleasure to use. Likewise industry needs to be held more accountable for the waste created from the products they produce. As a father of two I'm concerned about what the world will be like for my children's children ad infinitum

Answer 14

i care about climate change because the U.S. produces 25% of the worlds pollution, yet we only make up about 4% of the worlds population. Our pollutin is affecting other nations and it is not fare. I established a recyling program throughout a highschool that has around 3ooo kids in it. It is sure to reduce the amount of carbon that they produce.

Answer 15

Here is why I care-
These are just a few of the problems climate change could cause for you:
Higher summer temperatures and more sunshine can lead to breathing problems, skin cancers and cataracts.
Warmer winters will allow bacteria to survive and thrive, leading to more disease.
10,000 more cases of food poisoning every year.
Diseases which are now rare in Australia - such as malaria - could become common within 50 years.
More rain and damp weather may lead to more pneumonia and other lung diseases.
More flooding is likely to lead to more water-borne diseases.
Climate change is not something which will only affect other people. It will affect all of us. It will affect yo
My tips to reduce climate change.
Recycle – I recycle everything I can . Utilize curbside services if you have them, or seek out the nearest recycling center. It’s worth every ounce of effort it takes.
Buy Recycled. Complete the circle. Choose recycled copy paper, napkins and other paper products and even computer disks. There are many home décor products made from recycled material that are both functional and beautiful.
When possible, choose items in glass jars/containers. Glass is one of the few items that can be recycled over and over again.
End the siege of junk mail in your mailbox. Go to www.newdream.org/junkmail/ to download a form that you simply fill out, sign and mail (addresses are provided). This will remove your name from the majority of mailing lists. You will be amazed at the amount of trash you won’t have. Call the companies that you do want catalogs or mailings from and tell them NOT to sell, trade or give away your name. Usually they comply.
Walk or bike when possible. You’ve heard this time and time again and we’ll say it again. It’s better for the environment and for your health.
Take advantage of automating your salary deposits. Just think of all the lunch hours you’ll have free! On the same note, utilize online services to pay bills such as utilities and car payments – even your mortgage. It will save you time, energy and postage. Plus, your payments won’t be late.
Buy organic. Organic products are typically 30% more than conventional products and many products, such as bread, eggs, produce and even some dairy items, are right in line with their conventional counterparts. AND – scientific research proves that organic foods taste better and that they contain higher nutritional values.
Support local farmers. You’ll get fresher, higher quality foods at fantastic prices. Check out www.csa.org and enter your state to find a participating farm in your city. For a set price, you’ll get a box delivered to your home every week during growing season. It’s a great way to support small, local farms, ensure fresh produce and reduce pollution by excessive transportation.
Opt for organic gardening measures when it comes to fertilizing and pest control. Buy or make a compost bin and explore the amazing world of beneficial insects for pest control. It’s better for the environment, your health (no nasty chemicals) and its’ fun! Check out www.greenfire.com for a great choice of organic alternative gardening products.
Properly dispose of hazardous material. Call your city hall and ask for the date of the next hazardous material drop off. They’re free and usually are sprinkled throughout the year in various areas of your community. You don’t even get out of your car. You simply bring them all of your left over paints, chemicals, oil, old smoke alarms (yes, they have radiation in them) and they will remove them from your car and ensure that they are disposed of properly. To make it even easier, coordinate with your neighbors and take turns collecting and dropping off the items.
Here’s a bright idea (couldn’t resist that). As your existing light bulbs burn out, replace with compact fluorescent. They are highly energy efficient and last an average of 8000 hours. The amount of time, energy and resources they save is enormous.

Answer 16

Hi! Cate, I've just changed all my light bulbs in the house, also changed the shower head and cut the dishwasher use down & washing machine use down to three times a week! I've also cut my car use down too! Have a great day hon.

Answer 17

Just playing the odds, Cate.
The benefits from reducing waste are clear and desireable, so the argument over what will happen if we don't clean up our act is essentially pointless - those are risks we DON'T have to take, with positive benefits for avoiding them!
A real no brainer.

We recycle, holiday in our own country, buy the most efficient electrical appliance - nothing painful to it when you organise.

Cheers, Steve.

Answer 18

Because if we don't care about it the world will be worser and worser everyday. Climate change makes the worlds temperature much more than it used to.

Answer 19

I only use chemical free/non-toxic cleaning products in my home. I've been using these products for the past 3 years. I love these products and won't use anything else. I use these products because I care about the health and safety of my family, myself, and others. Other things I do are recycle and work from home 2 days a week.

Answer 20

Hi Cate, nice to see you on here. I'm a fellow artist.

I'm of South American heritage born in the land of the Great Amazon and raised in beautiful Australia. I have been concerned about climate change since I was told by the Indians in the Amazon 11 years ago that things where not going well. Our industrial and social consumption of earths resources has lead us to where we have disrupted the natural order of things. I have for the past 10 years promoted tree planting, recycling, ocean care and caring activities with each other working with school children.
Personally I switch lights off when I am not using them. I hang laundry to dry on the line. We use tank water for washing and we recycle. I use public transport as often as i am able. I take short showers and I find this particular activity makes my day trying to wash as I beat the 4 minute limit. It truely is amazing how long 4 minutes can be. Perception and focus.

Every person can make the difference. And the more that every one does their bit the better.

However it is now up to big organizations and very wealthy people to invest in saving the planet and PLANTING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF TREES...to compensate for the deforestation. WE HAVE TO HELP BRING THE RAINS BACK TO WHERE IT USED TO BE. WE HAVE TO TEACH THE CHILDREN HOW WE WANT THE WORLD TO BE IN FIVE YEARS TIME....TEN YEARS TIME....15 YEARS TIME

IT’S NOT IMPOSSIBLE…. IT IS VERY POSSIBLE TO TURN THINGS RIGHT.

The earth is a garden a very big garden or back yard so to speak. It needs to be re managed and landscaped. Country leaders and countries can no longer go on doing what they want to do if it harms the earth and humans. And that covers also some of the crazy barbaric cultural practices that inflict grievous bodily harm on to persons young and old. In a nut shell we all know now what the out comes are. Whaling has to STOP. The cutting down of the Amazon has to STOP. Dolphin, seal and any other cruelty that is taking place.

And it will take persons like yourself who have the respect of the public to take charge and lead. So that more change can take place. Cate if you are really serious... I mean really serious... drop me a line and if you do I will give you my website to check out also… we can do more....a lot can be done by pure heart and leadership. You are a mother now so you understand “the place can be cleaned up toys can be put away and no more fighting”
Hope to hear from you

God Bless
sincerely
Peace

Answer 21

To really understand climate change you need to change perspective to over the last billion years or so, our limited life span is a blip in the ocean. The human race will be gone in several thousand years and the earth will continue to change one way or another, our efforts will be a footnote in the evolution of this planet. To make an impact now China and America would have to stop pumping carbon into the air , this would only slow things down a little and cause a severe global recession, causing even more hardship, so what do you do.

Answer 22

ONCE AGAIN....

Global Warming MEANS "World Wide Warming!" It is ONLY A Political Term = NOT based in Real Science!

The EARTH is covered by "Three Quarters WATER!" Basic Science, it takes ONE-Btu to raise One Cubic Centimeter ONE Degree Centigrade!

HOW many "Gazillion Cubic Centimeters are there ONLY on the Surface of Planet Earth COVERED by 3/4 Water?"

HOW many Btu's would it take TO RAISE THE SURFACE TEMPERATURE ONE DEGREE?

DO THE MATH!

And, were are the Million TEMPERATURE MEASURING SITES on the Many Oceans THAT TELL US THAT THE OCEAN TEMPERATURES ARE RISING? Not!

Oh yes, POLAR temperatures have varied LESS Than one degree in the past 100-Years. Noticed I said VARIED, = NOT RISEN!

Thanks, RR

The theory of man-made global warming is false. Anyone who believes otherwise has not investigated the evidence or is purposely remaining ignorant to the legitimate opposition to global warming. I have given up an one and a half hours to watch “An Inconvenient Truth” so I ask you to do the same and watch the movie detailing the opposition.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=…
Another general resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/global_warm…

CO2 is not causing the globe to warm the opposite is true, the warming is increasing the atmospheric CO2. When the world heats it gradually increases the temperature of the oceans which serve as the largest CO2 sink. As the oceans heat up they release CO2 which is stored in them. The information comes from the same data Al Gore uses, the temperature always goes up before the concentration of CO2 goes up.
http://www.lavoisier.com.au/papers/artic…

CO2 makes up only .03% of our atmosphere. Water vapor, another greenhouse gas, makes up 1-4% of our atmosphere, this gas is acknowledged to be the main greenhouse gas. All human activities combined contribute only 6 Gigatons of CO2 to the atmosphere each year. Animals, through respiration, decomposition, etc contribute 150 Gigatons of CO2 to the atmosphere. So humans contribute only a small amount of CO2 to the atmosphere which is already in very small concentrations in the atmosphere.
http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov/science.html... This is where my data came from, it is an interesting site, it displays the same graphics as Al Gore in his movie but it tells how low the human contribution is. So Al Gore is using the same data but coming to a different conclusion, who do you want to believe a politician with no scientific training or the NASA CO2 laboratory, a group of scientists who spend their entire careers studying CO2.

We know the greenhouse effect is real it is a necessary effect to keep our planet at a habitable temperature. However if our current warming is due to greenhouse gasses it would cause warming in the troposphere , but the troposphere is actually getting cooler.
http://wwwghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/temperature… That points to other explanations to our current warming.

So what is causing our current warming, it is the sun.
http://web.dmi.dk/solar-terrestrial/spac…
http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2003/s…
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/06…
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200…
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/…
The fact that only the earth’s surface is warming points to direct heating from the sun rather than heating due to greenhouse gasses. Also other planets in our solar system are warming pointing to a common cause of warming, that common cause being the sun.
http://www.livescience.com/environment/0…
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/…
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/sola…
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/sola…

The global warming crowd says our glaciers are melting and animals will suffer this is another false claim.
http://www.co2science.org/scripts/co2sci…
http://www.nationalcenter.org/npa235.htm…
http://www.worldclimatereport.com/...

The global warming crowd also claims a scientific consensus on the issue, this is wrong in two ways. One, there is no consensus, this is a false claim to make you believe in global warming by suppressing the opposition. http://www.oism.org/pproject/s33p36.htm.…
Second, even if there was a consensus it would mean nothing, science is not politics, you don’t vote on theories to determine their legitimacy.
Here’s 21 pages of websites that disagree with global warming.
http://www.climatechangedebate.org/docum…
The thought that the only scientists who disagree with global warming are paid by oil companies is simply a stupid statement with no reality. This is the most illogical argument by people in support of global warming. Aside from being completely false it begs another question: Who pays global warming supporters? The answer is big environmental agencies that make millions off of global warming each year by teaching, publishing books, and selling environmentally clean products.

The IPCC is the main supporter of global warming, their statements are defended blindly by people who don’t want to admit that global warming is not real. People will claim that they took into account natural sources of CO2, they didn’t. Take a look for yourself:
http://www.ipcc.ch/activity/srccs/index.… That is the latest IPCC report, read the entire report, do a search of the documents, there is absolutely no mention of natural sources of CO2.

Answer 23

I am definitely caring the climate.
I am involved actively to reduce use and production of polythen bags in my state[ M.P.] in India with my Wife [Sarita].
We are arranging campaigns of awareness/ classroom deliberations/ presentations/ rallies regularly.
My wife filed a public petition in the High Court and got a prohibition on the manufacturing and use of poly bags of thickness lesser than 20 microns, and the food stuff being packed /supplied in coloured polythene bags.
You must be aware of serious hazards of this never-degrading polythene- This is one of the biggest menace to the climate and the environment and is being used freely in our state to the recent past.

Answer 24

There is only one answer to climate change, and the other ecological issues that threaten the earth (and attract all sorts of wannabe celebs).

We are using up whatever the earth has to offer, faster than the earth can replenish it. This applies to energy (gas, oil, coal), water and the atmosphere.

We are not going to solve it by adding tax to fuel or driving Toyota Prius rather than Toyota Landcruisers. All that affects is the rate at which we run out of everything we need.

Answer: we need fewer people on the earth. Think about it. Less consumption, less waste, reduced requirement for everything. More time for the earth to recover.

It can be achieved in the life of one generation - about 65 years.

Now, devote yourself to reducing the world's population - do something that will realy make a difference.

Answer 25

I myself care about it. But im upset about how other big CO2 belchers arnt doing anything about their contribution to the problem.(I live in us)

I try my best for 14, I unplug unused appliences in my room. Every night when i lock up the place i make shure all lights are off in the basement. And I also got my mom to switch almost every single lightbulb to the energy efficient lightbulbs, they are also alot brighter.

Answer 26

I'm a dolphin lover and I filed two petitions to stop the madness of slaughter and pollution I'm there.

Answer 27

I care about climate change as you see everyday the hardships it creates. Consider for example the length of the drought in Australia, the severity of hurricanes in the US, the melting of the polar ice caps and as a restult the rising of the oceans. Obviouly the earth is struggling against the changes humans are imposing on it.
I care about climate change because I believe the earth needs to maintain a happy balance in order to support all life on earth.

Personally I know I am not doing enough. What I do is I:

Turn appliances off at the power point
Have bought water saving appliances
I have a good quailty pool blanket (pool was already installed at the house)
I have quick showers
I drive a low emission car
I drive as little as possible
I make use of thermal mass in the home to minimise heating and cooling
Utilise cross breezes rather than turning on a fan
I put on extra clothes if I am cold rather than a heater

When we build our house I want to;

Have a design that has solar eaves, blocking sun in summer, letting it in in winter.
Have solar panels (hotwater and more)
Use large amounts in thermal mass where it will be hit by the sun (eg tiles or polished concrete)
Have good cross ventilation in the home
If heating is needed then it will be natural gas
Have a grey water system
Have large water tanks connected to the house
Use lighter coloured materials (I live in Perth, better in summer for sol air temperature)
Consider orientation of the house so nature does the heating and cooling
Build in reverse brick veneer (the best for thermal comfort in a Perth climate)
Have minimal glazing (weak point in heat/cold transfer)
Have drought resistant plants in the garden.

And if they bring them to Australia I will buy the ZAP X.

http://www.zapworld.com/electric-vehicle…

I should also mention that doing all these things will help the environment, but will also help my bank account as the majority (after initial set up) are cost free. I like the idea of helping the environment and having no utility bills.

Answer 28

we wash on a 30 temp for our clothes, dry on a line. recycle our waste, don't have heating, use energy saving bulbs, on turn everything off at night, reuse carrier bags, we grow our own veg and fruit, we also use bio fuel in our cars, and only use them for long journeys, we bike most places. we live on a beautiful planet but have spent years raping it of all natural resources, we are just waiting for planning permission for a wind turbine and hope in the future to become self sufficient on our property, I hope more people can find it in their hearts to get up and do more for our planet before it is gone.

Answer 29

I have young family of three boys, all i would hope will endeavour to have children of their own in the future, i would like the world to be a green and pleasant place for them and their children's children to live in as it is at present. we have responded by recycling all our garden waste to compost including waste food , our house has been insulated and windows replaced, our walls cave been cavity filled to ensure minimal heat loss, paper, tins,glass etc all recycled. our next project is the gas boiler and solar panels to run external items like the pond pump and pir lighting. this all comes at a cost, some of which can be off set with grants. lets hope we can turn around the damage we have done to this wonderful place we call home.

Answer 30

can not put myself on the map due to a postal code error I am in America and respect your attempts to educate and accept responsibility for the terrible injustices persons do concerning the environment. Can we join you on this matter?

Answer 31

I'm not sure if this answer will fall on blind eyes or not but I will waste some of my time writing it.

Although climate change happens naturally, it concerns me to see an accelerated rate of climate change. The problem in this world is greed. People and Government who will only do the absolute minimal due to "cost". As for me, I now turn off appliances at the wall and walk more.