Today we discussed the controversial issues concerning global warming. Regarding that the hypothesis of the Earth warming up due to green house gases and the depletion of the ozone layer by both humans and nature is true, what actions can we take to prevent it? More importantly, in my opinion, how can we get people to unite and accomplish these goals? Like we said today, there are countries in the world that are taking great strides in going green, however there are even more that are apathetic, whether they're currently still developing nations or they prioritize other problems. I believe the rest of us have to start taking actions in our own countries first, and this may elicit worldwide support.
According to an article I read in the Washington Post, the EPA had proposed a plan last year that notably reduced emissions of mercury and other toxins from coal-burning power plants. This was done by requiring plants to purchase scrubbers and filtering equipment that prevented 91% of mercury from being released into the air. That's a significant difference. The article also stated that in 2005, power plants accounted for 70% of sulfur dioxide emissions.
What if we could somehow make a board of countries that agreed to this proposal and also filtered their power plants? It would cost a lot, but if more countries prevented the 91% of mercury from their power plants from being released, then it could really make a difference. Ofcourse, this is just one step that we can take, but I thought it was one of the most important steps because power plants cause a majority of the pollution.
Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/16/AR2011031604859.html
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