Climate change is the scientific hypothesis that human activity is affecting the composition of the atmosphere and altering Earth’s climate. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — a non-partisan, international panel of leading scientists — has called the connection between human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases and the observed warming of the Earth “very likely.”
See Emissions Offsets.
Reducing energy use is an excellent way to fight climate change. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, top energy efficiency ideas include using compact fluorescent light bulbs that require 65% less electricity than traditional bulbs, insulating your house so it requires less energy to heat and cool, and using public transportation instead of driving to work.
Emissions offsets, sometimes known as carbon offsets, are reductions in emissions that would not have otherwise occurred unless someone paid for them. For example, many landfills are not required by law to trap and destroy methane, a potent greenhouse gas that comes from decaying garbage. As a result, the technology to trap and destroy methane, preventing its release, is only economically viable if someone is willing to pay for that emissions reduction.
When someone buys an offset created by an emissions reduction program, the offset is said to be “retired.” The project has to continue to reduce emissions to generate new offsets for sale.
Not all offsets are the same. Read more about the offsets used in the Earth Rewards program.
Earth’s atmosphere lets sunlight pass through and warm the surface of the planet, but it also traps some of the heat that radiates back toward the sun. The amount of light that gets trapped is related to the level of certain gases known as greenhouse gases. This greenhouse effect is essential to the stable, moderate global temperature that supports life. But as the level of greenhouse gases rises, the global temperature can rise.
Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere contribute to the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. While most greenhouse gases occur naturally, scientists believe that human-generated emissions are disturbing the balance of gases necessary to maintain a steady temperature on Earth.
Carbon dioxide, or CO2, is produced by burning fossil fuels and represents the largest share of human-generated emissions, although other gases like methane, while produced in smaller quantities, can have a stronger warming effect. Scientists have assigned “CO2-equivalent global warming potentials” to these gases. For example, methane — produced by decaying animal waste and garbage — has a global warming potential 21 times that of CO2.
Global warming is the warming of the Earth due to the greenhouse effect. It is considered one of the more likely consequences of climate change.
See Emissions Offsets.
Renewable energy is a term for fuel sources that can’t run out or can be replenished relatively quickly. Examples include wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass and solar energy