People are starting to accept that global warming is a reality, but they are often frustrated because they ask, "Ok so we are all going to die? What can I do about it?" Well, we haven't all died yet, and there is plenty to do.
In this diary I will present a brief summary of what we know, some of which you may not know, and attempt to answer that burning question... What can we do? It is true that we can't just go and force the auto makers to produce cars with higher mileage or shut down sections of the power grid. There are some things we can do and they are not as hard as you might think.
Global warming is one result of the Industrial Revolution that was forseen from the beginning and is just now becoming critical. CO2 and other greenhouse gasses absorb the infrared radiation that comes from the earth and cause the air to heat up more than it used to. There are complicating factors, but that is pretty much it. It is not easilly measured but CO2 has a half-life of around 50 years. About half of the CO2 we have produced has been absorbed by the ocean, and has made it slightly more acidic by producing extra carbonic acid.
The warming effect in the last 25 years has been stronger than we anticipated. Reasons for this include:
The effect of greenhouse gases besides CO2 like methane, cfc's, and SF6
Reversal of global dimming - the haze caused by air polluton had a cooling effect. The clean air act helped clear that up.
Water vapor feedback. More heat causes more evaporation of water. Higher humidity causes higher temperatures. (something I am studying)
So...what can we do about it?
The first and most important thing that many of us are doing already is to elect intelligent leaders from the reality based community.
Something else we can do that has a more immediately satisfying effect is to perform a home energy audit, and see how we can cut emissions and save money.
A quick but not as helpful audit is available through the site promoted in Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth...
http://www.climatecrisis.net/
Better yet is a comprehensive energy audit like the one developed at Laurence Berkely Labs that tells you how much you can save even with each lightbulb...
http://hes.lbl.gov/
If you want to go even further there are some extreme savings things that you might already be doing...
Use cloth bags for the grocery store.
Grow your own fruits and vegetables.
Take shorter showers. (Turn off the water while soaping up)
Buy a heat pump/air conditioner to replace your gas heater and air conditioner.
Buy a hybrid car and ask the dealer why they can't sell you an electric.
The energy audit is probably the best thing you can do to provide peace of mind. I am sure there are more things you can think of that I have not mentioned. The important thing is that we do something... Starting now!