Global warming, experts contend, is an urgent problem-but there are concrete steps every American can take to be part of the solution. There are so many things we do every day that use energy-therefore we have so many opportunities every day to make a difference.
The Problem
When cars, factories and power plants burn fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, they release global-warming pollution. These pollutants accumulate in the atmosphere for many decades, acting like a huge blanket that traps heat. That, in turn, warms our planet. The global-warming pollution, primarily carbon dioxide, emitted from the first model T’s is still in the atmosphere, acting as a thickening layer of insulation. With our increased reliance on fossil fuels, the concentration of these pollutants continues to accumulate, threatening the stability of our climate.
Distinguished scientists across the nation have been surprised by the speed and severity of the issue and its effects on people’s lives: the elderly suffering from heat waves, families whose homes are threatened by floods and eroding coastlines, hunters and anglers watching wildlife disappear and homeowners who are...