The Quick Facts:

The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) is charged with protecting human health and the environment including the regulation of air pollution from fossil fuel, such as coal or oil, burning power plants.  Air pollution can have negative impacts on health ranging from premature mortality to aggravated asthma.  Those people most vulnerable to air pollution are sensitive populations, particularly children. See also Real Mama’s article “Smog Season Safety: How to Help Your Kids Enjoy the Outdoors While Reducing Risk from Harmful Air Pollution” by Special Contributor to Real Mama, Inc. Rebecca Watts Hull.

In addition, air pollution can contribute to global climate change as well as more regional impacts on the environment such as acid rain.  Acid rain occurs when air pollution is brought down from the atmosphere by rain and causes acidification of lakes and streams making them uninhabitable by plants and animals – basically the plants and animals can’t breath.  In addition, acid rain causes damage to trees, crops, historic buildings, and statues.

EPA has established national air quality standards to protect public health for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act, ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.  EPA requires industries that emit such pollution to comply with various regulations aimed at reducing air pollution and protecting the population and environment.

The new EPA Cross-State Air Pollution Rule requires 27 states to significantly improve air quality by reducing power plant emissions that contribute to ozone and/or fine particulate pollution in other states.  Air pollution can certainly be local, but it can also be global and/or regional.  Particularly in the eastern United States, prevailing winds blow from west to east so the pollution coming from one state can significantly impact another.  Think of the weather map from your local news station.  On the East coast, people are often concerned about what is happening in the middle of the country as a precursor to weather coming down the line.  Similarly, air pollution from other states travels in much the same way.  EPA’s new Rule is designed to account for that.

Specifically, the EPA rule requires a reduction by power plants of sulfur dioxide emissions by 73 percent by 2014 and nitrogen oxide emissions by 54 percent by 2014, from 2005 levels.  Sulfur dioxide is primarily release from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal or oil to generate electricity at power plants.  Sulfur dioxide, at high concentrations, can affect breathing, is the primary contributor to acid rain, and contributes to limited visibility in large parts of the country.  Nitrogen oxides, or NOx, react in the atmosphere to create ozone and acid rain.  Power plants will have to start cutting their sulfur dioxide emissions as early as January 2012 and nitrogen oxide emissions by May 2012.

In another regulatory action, EPA also issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking to require six states – Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin – to make summertime reductions in nitrogen oxide under the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule ozone-season control program.  If finalized, this rule along with the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule are aimed at making sure that ozone-season nitrogen oxide emissions meet the 1997 8-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard or what EPA has determined to be a “safe” level.

Impacts

According to EPA, the projected amount to be spent by power plants, and others impacted, is $800 million in 2014 and the projected benefits will yield $120-280 billion in annual health and environmental benefits in 2014, including the value of avoiding 13,000 to 34,000 premature deaths.

Ways to Protect Your Family From Exposure to Air Pollution

- Keep kids inside on days when air quality is bad.  Check the website http://www.airnow.gov to get real-time air quality reports for over 300 cities across the U.S.

- Reduce energy consumption because the less power required to be generated means the less fossil fuels required to be burned.

- Plant trees to help absorb particulates and improve air quality.

- Avoid being outside when lawnmowers, leaf-blowers, and other outdoor equipment are being used to protect kids from exhaust fumes as well as noise.

Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:

http://www.airnow.gov/ (AIRNow Website developed by the U.S. EPA, NOAA, NPS, tribal, state, and local agencies to provide the public with easy access to national air quality information. The Web site offers daily AQI forecasts as well as real-time AQI conditions for over 300 cities across the US, and provides links to more detailed State and local air quality Web site).

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/07/us-usa-epa-smog-idUSTRE7664GD20110707 (Article entitled, EPA rule aims to cut smog, soot from coal plants, July 7, 2011, by Timothy Gardner and Tom Doggett)

http://www.epa.gov/airtransport/ (EPA’s Final Cross State Air Pollution Rule, issued July 6, 2011, requires 27 states to significantly improve air quality by reducing power plant emissions that contribute to ozone and/or fine particulate pollution in other states)

This past winter (2010-2011) in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast has been particularly hard; record back-to-back snowstorms, windy days, and cold temperatures.  Sure, winter is winter, but I found that, this year, multiple days in a row shuttered indoors were more unbearable than ever and affected my family’s well-being.  I realized this mostly the first day that my toddler and I could go outside and not have to trudge through feet of snow, or bundle-up with endless layers to play.  We really did miss the outdoors.

As we exited the house, my toddler hesitated to take the next step into the colder air.  I paused, too, but after a few cold breaths, I picked her up and trotted through the yard, hoping to build excitement for our new cold weather play time.  As my daughter was not a fan of playing in the snow or sleigh rides, our activities were limited with wet, melting, piles of snow.  So, we took to the street and pretended to fly like birds (her favorite animal at the time).  The giggles were endless and the expression on her face was priceless.  I felt more air getting into my lungs than ever before, and knew my daughter’s lungs were being refreshed as well.

After our morning time outdoors, I noticed my toddler and I had a brighter disposition and outlook for the rest of the day (and even had bigger smiles for when Daddy came home from work), happier facial expressions, hungry stomachs, and we napped incredibly well that afternoon and slept great that night.  As with a typical winter around here, the following days were much colder and windier, with more snow.  So, we were back inside, and I noticed an immediate difference in eating and sleeping habits in both of us.  We needed to get back outside.  Our cabin fever had replaced “spring fever.”

The reality is that families and individuals do not get outside for fresh air often enough, all year long.  We spend time inside working, eating, sleeping, and playing.  According to Prevention Magazine, kids today spend 7 hours more on academics and inside activities and 2 hours less on sports and outdoor activities per week than they did 20 years ago.

Experts say that children who spend more time outdoors in green spaces have lower stress levels, more success in school, and fewer ADHD symptoms.  Also, sunlight triggers skin to make vitamin D, a potent cancer fighter.  Interaction with nature reduces depression, promotes healing, sparks creativity, and even increases life expectancy–upping survival odds by about 15% over 5 years in one Japanese study.

Physically, fresh air cleans our lungs. We tend to breathe deeper when outdoors, which brings more oxygen to all the cells in our bodies.  The increased oxygen brings with it increased energy and brings better clarity to the brain, which needs twenty percent of our body’s oxygen to function.

According to Natural Health Restored, some of the many human health benefits of fresh air include:

• Helps increase the rate and quality of growth in both plants and animals;
• Improves the cleansing action of your lungs;
• Helps to improve your heart rate, blood pressure, and metabolic rate;
• Helps your immune system fight off disease more effectively;
• Soothes your nerves;
• Will stimulate your appetite and will help your food to digest more effectively;
• Will help you sleep more soundly at night;
• Helps to clear your mind, improves your concentration, and helps you to think more clearly;
• Alters your brain levels of serotonin which helps to improve your mood and promote a sense of happiness and well-being;
• Helps your body get rid of accumulated impurities;
• Provides enough oxygen for cellular metabolism;
• Helps to kill bacteria and viruses in the air; and
• Strengthens your immune system by supplying it with the oxygen it needs.

Now, I’m not going to move my family to a consistently warm weather place (because we love the seasons) just to have reason to be outside more, but I have considered changes, such as instituting a rule that if it’s at least 40 degrees and sunny or partly sunny – we are outside for as much as possible.  Also, I’ve researched and signed-up for outdoor programs for my family for all seasons to make going outside routine and part of the schedule of activities.

Most of all, I will remind myself of how my mind and body felt on that one warmer winter day after running around the yard and “flying” down the street pretending to be birds with my toddler: tired (but a “good-tired,”), refreshed, hungry, and hungry for more time outdoors.  Thank goodness spring is here.

Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:

(http://www.healthymenumailer.com/articles/fresh-air.html, “Why is Fresh Air So Good For You?” Healthy Menu Mailer, last accessed March 6, 2011.)

(http://www.natural-health-restored.com/fresh-air.html, “Get a Breath of Fresh Air,” Natural Health Restored, last accessed March 6, 2011.)

(http://www.prevention.com/health/health/healthy-living/fresh-air-can-help-your-brain/article/3bf9b3eb1f463110VgnVCM20000012281eac____/, “The Fresh-Air Fix,” by Sarah Mahoney, Prevention Magazine, 2007, last accessed March 6, 2011.)

You can smell it when you walk out the door of your home. You can smell it when you take your child for a walk in the neighborhood, house after house. What you smell is not the scent of fresh air, but “clean scent” or “fresh scent” dryer sheets. We all appreciate clean clothes, but studies have found that fabric softeners and dryer sheets can make us sick and harm the environment.

A Drain on Energy
The clothes dryer is the second biggest household user of electricity, after the refrigerator. According to the 2001 statistics from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration, about 5.8 percent of residential electricity is used for the clothes dryer. In fact, Project Laundry List, a nonprofit organization, says if all Americans use the clothesline or wooden drying racks, the savings would be enough to close several power plants!

The Toxic Load
While people are using dryers and using energy, they are also using many chemicals in the form of artificial fragrances in the process. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and industry-generated Material Safety Data Sheets (required documents with information about individual chemicals) from the 1990s, the following is a list of chemicals in fabric softener products and dryer sheets and their effects on human health:

• Benzyl acetate — Linked to pancreatic cancer
• Benzyl alcohol — Upper respiratory tract irritant
• Ethanol — On the EPA’s hazardous waste list; can cause central nervous system disorders
• Limonene — Suspected gastrointestinal or liver toxicant, immunotoxicant, kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant, respiratory toxicant, and skin or sense organ toxicant
• A-Terpineol — Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema and central nervous system damage
• Ethyl acetate — A narcotic on the EPA’s hazardous waste list
• Camphor — Causes central nervous system disorders
• Chloroform — Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic (cancer-causing)
• Linalool — A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
• Pentane — A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

People who use dryer sheets with fragrances are coating their clothing in a layer of chemicals. These chemicals are designed to stick and linger on clothing for that longer, extra “fresh” scent. People breathe-in the aromatic molecules in the air released by the toxins in the dried clothes, and absorb the chemicals through the skin via direct contact with the clothes. The chemicals are easily absorbed by the skin, especially when you perspire. The wetter your body becomes, the more easily the chemicals can move from clothing into your skin.

Don’t forget Fido or Fifi; fragrance chemicals can harm pets, too. Apparently, some people use dryer sheets to remove loose hair from pets and to reduce static. This is not good for pets. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, doing so can cause a variety of problems in animals ranging from minor irritation to widespread systemic distress and pulmonary edema. Animals lick their fur and directly ingest the chemicals, and lick the areas on which they rest which may have been washed and dried using fabric softeners or dryer sheets.

Studies continue on the effects of these chemicals on human health and pets. However, professionals say that individuals with allergies, eczema, asthma and other skin conditions are particularly susceptible to such toxins. Also, according to Grinning Planet, when thinking about the impacts of dryer sheets on health, “consider making a change if there are kids in your household. Children’s developing bodies are especially susceptible to the negative effects of chemical exposure.”

In addition to the impacts of these chemicals on human and pet health, the chemicals are released into the air and our waterways. The chemicals in fabric softeners are washed into sewer systems and are not removed. Many sewer systems overflow in rainstorms, washing a toxic soup, including the artificial fragrance chemicals, to local waterways. Studies are finding similar health impacts on marine and animal life from these chemicals.

Solutions for “Green” Laundry
In sum, skip the fabric softener and dryer sheets to protect the health of your family, pets, and the environment. Here are some greener and healthier options:
• For safer clothes softening without harsh chemicals, add a half a cup of vinegar (your clothing will not retain the smell of vinegar) OR a quarter cup of baking soda to the rinse cup of the wash cycle. (Special note: If you must use bleach, DO NOT PUT bleach and vinegar in the same load; vinegar and bleach can react poorly to each other and cause a toxic fume.)
• If you want a floral scent in your clothes, put a drop or two of essential oil on a clean washcloth or rag and toss it into the dryer. OR, fill a small cloth drawstring bag with dried aromatic herbs or flowers and throw in the dryer with your clothes. Make sure the bag is tied securely.
• Check out your local health food store for a natural fabric softener that uses a natural base like soy instead of chemicals.
• Buy naturally-made fiber clothing it’ll be softer without having to add anything to soften the fabric.
• For static cling, before putting your clothes into the dryer remove any 100% synthetic fabric items from your load. Hang them to air dry. They will last longer and you will reduce any static in your load.

Air It Out
To save energy, lower utility bills, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, opt for air drying – outside or inside. You don’t need much space to set up a clothesline outside, nor do you need full sun. Clothes will dry in sun (a natural disinfecting source) and in the shade. Don’t have clothesline poles? Wrap the clothesline around two trees, or attach it to the side of the deck or house.

Unfortunately, neighborhoods and homeowner associations are restricting clothesline installation due to aesthetic reasons, and some claim property values decrease due to outside clothesline use. Recognizing the environmental, health, and economic benefits of clotheslines, people are fighting these restrictions. In fact, a clothesline advocacy group called Project Laundry List exists to assist homeowners fight for the “right to dry!”

If outside drying is not possible, folding, free-standing dryer racks are ideal for inside spaces. A few clothes lines also can be installed easily in boiler, laundry, or extra rooms. Or, hang clothes on hangers from pipes hung from ceilings or walls.

By eliminating the use of fabric softeners and dryer sheets, you will save money and improve the health of your family. Take it a step further and reduce dryer use and you will save money, energy, and help the earth.

For related Real Mama Articles, see:
Global Warming Updates
Home Energy Eaters: How to Save Energy and Money Around Your Home

Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:

(http://www.grinningplanet.com/2004/04-29/stop-static-cling-fabric-softener-article.htm, Grinning Planet, “Ahh…The Air is Filled with the Smells of the Season…and Dryer Sheets;
Alternatives to the Toxic Components of Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets,” Updated February 2010.)

(http://www.supereco.com/news/2009/05/05/dryer-sheets-turn-clothes-toxic/, “Dryer Sheets Turn Clothes Toxic,” by Lisa Poisso, May 5, 2009.)

(https://shop.sixwise.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=92, SixWise.com, “The Toxic Danger of Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets,” last accessed April 22, 2010.)

(http://www.naturalnews.com/002693.html, “Warning: many dryer sheets contain cancer causing chemicals,” by Mike Adams, December 05, 2004.)

(http://laundry.about.com/od/laundryproductsafety/qt/petsdryersheet.htm, “Dryer Sheets Are Harmful to Cats and Dogs, Keep Pets Out of Laundry Room,” by Mary Marlowe Leverette, last accessed April 22, 2010.)

(http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/172/1/Toxic-dryer-sheets.html, Green Living Tips, “Toxic Dryer Sheets,” November 15, 2007.)

(http://www.bestgreenhometips.com/2009/08/are-dryer-sheets-toxic/, “Are dryer sheets toxic? Green Cleaning by Jennifer, August 27, 2009.)

(http://www.ehow.com/how_4733688_stop-using-dryer-sheets.html, “How to Stop Using Dryer Sheets,” last accessed April 22, 2010.)

(http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/laundrylist-project-clothesline.html, “Use Clotheslines, Reduce Energy Cost by 5%,” by Brian Merchant, September 15, 2008.)

(http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/03/13/clothesline_rule_creates_flap/?page=1, The Boston Globe, “Clothesline Rule Creates Flap,” by Jenna Russell, March 13, 2008.)

(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119007893529930697.html, “The Right to Dry: A Green Movement Is Roiling America,” by Ann Marie Chaker, September 18, 2007.)

(http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/309631/the_bleaching_power_of_the_sun.html?cat=58, Associated Content, “The Bleaching Power of Sun,” by C. Jeanne Heida, July 18, 2007.)

(http://www.laundrylist.org/, Project Laundry List, a nonprofit organization whose mission is “making air-drying and cold-water washing laundry acceptable and desirable as simple and effective ways to save energy.” Last accessed April 24, 2010.)

The Quick Facts: Photosynthesis is a mechanism that we all learn about in elementary school but many people don’t realize the benefits of planting trees and other vegetation on the environment. Plants can be used in urban spaces to improve local air quality and, on a global scale, to reduce the impacts of climate change through carbon sequestration. Plant a tree, flowers, or garden today to reduce your impact and help clean the air.

How Plants Clean the Air
The cycle of how plants make energy is called photosynthesis. Greatly simplified, it is when the sun, water, minerals, and carbon dioxide are all absorbed by a plant and then used to make food, glucose/sugar, for the plant. Oxygen is produced as a by-product of this process and released into the air by leaves.

The process of photosynthesis results in the production of oxygen as well as the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, and contaminants from the air. In one year, an average tree inhales 26 pounds of CO2 and exhales enough oxygen for a family of four to breathe for a year. In addition, trees help trap and hold pollutants by absorbing them through the pores in the leaf surface and trapping them. The tree then filters pollutants through its leaves, stems, and twigs, and pollutants are then washed to the ground by rainfall instead of remaining in the air.

Urban Spaces
Urban spaces can greatly benefit from the planting of trees or leafy vegetation. Trees and vegetation provide aesthetic benefits, improve our air (as discussed above), protect our water, and reduce noise pollution, among other things. Trees reduce urban runoff (often polluted) and erosion by storing water and breaking the force of rain as it falls. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that 100 mature trees can reduce runoff caused by rainfall by up to 100,000 gallons. The New Jersey Forest Service reports that a well-planted group of trees can reduce noise pollution by up to 10 decibels.

If planted in areas where air pollutant concentrations are high and where relatively high planting densities can be achieved, the health of urban dwellers can be improved. In New York City, a 10 percent increase in urban canopy (e.g., more trees) translated to a reduction of peak ozone levels by around 4 parts per billion. (Source: Luley, Christopher J.; Nowak, David J. 2004. Help Clear the Smog with Your Urban Forest: What You and Your Urban Forest Can Do About Ozone.)

Global Impacts and Carbon Sequestration
Trees and leafy plants are not only good for our local environment but our global environment as well. Another benefit of photosynthesis is carbon storage or sequestration. This occurs when carbon is stored in forests and soils. As discussed above, trees and leafy vegetation take carbon dioxide (CO2) in through tiny openings in leaves and that carbon gets incorporated into the woody biomass of trees and agricultural crops. Roughly half of this biomass is carbon. Over time, the carbon can make its way into soils when vegetation, natural forest litter and roots decay. However, carbon in forests and soils can be returned to the atmosphere as CO2 when the soil is disrupted by agricultural practices or when trees decay and/or are burned. Depending on the management of forests and use of agricultural soils, they can act as either a net carbon sink or source. The movement of carbon in and out of trees and soils is part of the Earth’s global carbon cycle.

Approximately 20% of the world’s annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions result from land-use changes, primarily deforestation in the tropical regions of Central and South America, Africa, and Asia. According to the UN statistics, we lose 49,421 acres of forest every day; this adds-up to 18 million acres per year.

What You Can Do

• Plant a Tree. Join the Arbor Foundation for as little as $10 dollars and get 10 free tress from 6-12 inches that are appropriate for your hardiness zone and will arrive at the best time of year for planting. See http://www.arborday.org/shopping/memberships/memberships.cfm?membership=trees for more on how to join.
• Make lifestyle changes like using tree-free paper or 100% recycled paper.
• Switch to a diet that does not require deforestation or a change in land-use (i.e., drink coffee designated as grown while protecting rainforests).

Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:
http://www.arborday.org/trees/benefits.cfm (Arbor Day Foundation’s mission is to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees)
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/reasons-hug-tree.html?campaign=daylife-article (Planet Green is the first and only 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network with a robust online presence and community)
http://www.epa.gov/sequestration/science.html (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency information on carbon sequestration)
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/agriculture.cfm?id=coffee (Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior)

The Quick Facts: Measures must be taken both nationally and internationally to slow the pace of global warming. Domestically bills are pending in Congress to reducing global warming while the international community will meet in December to further international efforts. These actions will hopefully help curb greenhouse gas emissions but we should all do our part at home to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and teach our kids to do so as well by encouraging kids to turn off lights in the house; explaining the need to carpool; and planting trees.

We keep hearing about global warming but little action has taken place. Recently, there is momentum in the U.S. Congress as well as from the international community that indicated national and international actions might be taken to address global warming, in particular, to limit the emission of carbon dioxide. Despite national and international action, you and your family can take action to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and teach your kids about our impact on the air.

Science & Policy

Scientists have reported, and politicians are beginning to agree, that greenhouse gases are making the earth hotter, the consequences of which include rising sea level, failing crops, etc. (see Real Mama’s article “What’s Hot 2007? The Earth”). The primary greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in April 2007 to be a “pollutant” that could be regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just like any other pollutant today (i.e., power plants have to limit their emission of most other pollutants). Importantly, almost half of the states are already limiting greenhouse gases in some way.

Domestic Actions

In the House of Representatives, H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) was introduced on May 15, 2009, by Representatives Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Edward Markey (D-MA). The bill’s key provision is a cap-and-trade program. A cap-and-trade program requires a power plant or other entity that emits carbon dioxide to buy a permit for each ton of carbon dioxide emitted each year. The government runs such a program and establishes a target level for all greenhouse gas emissions (or cap) so that the number of permits distributed by the government remains below the emission level set by the cap. Once distributed, the permits are freely traded (bought and sold) by other companies who need to emit more pollutants than they have permits for, or even by non-profit organizations that want to reduce the overall amount of greenhouse gases emitted. The government then reduces the number of permits issued over time to meet target levels (or cap) aimed at reducing the overall level of emissions overtime.

In the Senate, S. 1462, the American Clean Energy and Leadership Act of 2009 (ACELA) was introduced July 16, 2009 by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM). The bill does not include a cap-and-trade program but relies on establishing national standards for renewable electricity generation. These standards would require that utilities provide a certain amount (for example, 20 percent by 2020) of electricity from renewable sources in an effort to level the playing field in terms of the competitive advantage coal and oil hold as the fuel of choice for the generation of electricity.

In addition to legislative efforts, the Environmental Protection Agency has indicated a willingness to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted from power plants or other large emitting sources. Largely in response to the April 2007 U.S. Supreme Court case, the EPA recently published a rule for comment that would start the process of regulating carbon dioxide like other pollutants and requiring those who emit it to limit such emissions (including cars).

International Actions

Some countries are already limiting greenhouse gases emissions due to their participation in the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol set up an international cap-and-trade system for carbon dioxide that required nations to reduce emission levels to below 1990 levels. The Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. In December 2009, the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) will convene in Copenhagen to try to agree on a new international climate change regime to replace the Kyoto protocol. The United States failed to fully participate in the Kyoto Protocol and is not subject to it despite being the largest contributor to global warming. The U.S. is responsible for approximately twenty-five percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.

Importantly, on a global scale, China now emits as much greenhouse gas as the United States and India’s greenhouse gas emissions are predicted to greatly increase by 2030 due to expected growth. Participation of these nations in the new talks is essential to making headway to reducing global warming. However, the United States still has the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions in the world and has contributed the most greenhouse gas emissions, by far (the U.S. emits the same amount of greenhouse gases as 2.6 billion people living in 151 developing countries).

Talking to Kids about Global Warming

With this background in mind, there are things you can do at home and with your kids to start introducing them to the idea that our actions impact the earth. Talking to kids about the reasons for helping to reduce emissions is important. Depending on the age the child, try to make it an interesting topic and something you can work on as a family. In our family, with a 5, 3, and 1 year old it is as basic as saying that “Turning off the lights can help save the polar bears.” Although there are many steps in between turning off the lights and preserving polar bears habitat, having a connection as to why they need to turn the lights off helps them remember to do it and feel good about it. Here are some additional tips (for more tips about relating global warming to children’s learning, see Real Mama’s article about what your family can do about global warming entitled “Solutions to Global Warming for the Reasonable Family”):

• Teach kids to turn off the lights when they leave a room.

• Combine errands or carpool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make the errands relate to your kids.

• Plant trees for special occasions or at the very least if you cut any trees down, be sure to replace them.

Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h2454pcs.txt.pdf (Text of H.R. 2454, 111th Congress).

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:s1462pcs.txt.pdf (Text of S. 1462, 111th Congress)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/17/AR2009041701453.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2009041800145 (Washington Post, Juliet Eilperin, EPA Says Emissions Are Threat to Public, Finding Could Lead to Greenhouse Gas Limits, Wash. Post, April 19, 2009)

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment/downloads/EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0171-0001.pdf (EPA issued a proposed rule finding that carbon dioxide and other GHGs pose a danger to the public’s health and welfare. Proposed Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Finding for Greenhouse Gases under § 202(a) Clean Air Act; Proposed Rule, 74 Fed. Reg. 18886 (April 24, 2009))

http://www.ipcc.ch (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading scientific body for the assessment of climate change, established by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences.

http://www.pewclimate.org/docUploads/USGas%2Epdf (Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Designing a Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program for the U.S. (2003))