How you can help stop global warming. Most of us want to help, but don't know how. You can individually help stop global warming.
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First a little science. The problem is that too much of the sun's radiation is being absorbed in the atmosphere and on the earth's surface. Green-house gases allow high frequency radiation like ordinary visible light into the earth, but block lower frequency radiation like heat radiation from leaving the earth. They act like a one way mirror, energy comes in, but doesn't get back out.
"Albedo" means "The fraction of electromagnetic radiation reflected by a celestial body." Currently the albedo of the earth is about .30, which means 30% of the sun's energy is radiated back into space. We need to raise the albedo for earth and reflect more energy back into space thereby cooling our planet. It's fairly simple and you can help.
Snow reflects about 90%, a grass lawn reflects only 20%, sand can be up to 40%.
You can help raise the earth's albedo with the following steps:
- Buy a white car.
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Dark colored cars absorb the sun's rays and turn them into heat, which is trapped by the green house gases. White cars constantly reflect more of the sun's energy back into space, thereby cooling the planet. Every second your white car is in sunlight you are reducing the temperature of the planet - every second!
- Have an shiny metal roof on your house.
Instead of dark shingles that absorb the heat, have a shiny metal roof installed. Every day you will be pumping energy from earth into outer space thereby cooling the planet. A "Cool Roof" also cuts down on the energy needed for air conditioning.
- Replace part of your lawn with a white gravel rock garden.
Instead of your grass absorbing heat, the white gravel will reflect radiation back into space. You will also lessen your use of fertilizer, an oil byproduct.
- Become an advocate for "Cool Pavements".
If we can change the color of the thousands of miles of roads to a lighter shade, more radiation will be reflected back into space and cool our planet.
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