Other Reasons to "Spare the Air" (apart from Global Warming)

There is no doubt that our climate is warming - that fact everyone agrees on. Some question whether it is caused by humans and our use of fossil fuels and insist that this is normal, that the earth has always gone through heating and cooling phases. Well, they are right, but missing one critical point - the change in temperature right now is happening at a rate mush faster than it ever has in history. The amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is well above the highest levels scientists have been able to find anywhere in earth's past and the highest levels of carbon have always coincided with high temperatures. There is no doubt that global warming is happening, quickly, and is caused by us. But for those that still don't believe that, or think that their little contribution can't help save the planet (and therefore do nothing), here are reasons to reduce your emissions that make sense no matter what your belief.

1. Pollution
Every bit of carbon dioxide pumped out of our cars, furnaces, factories, and power plants goes right into the air we breathe. And it's not just CO2 in those emissions - there are countless other harmful pollutants that get little acknowledgement - because they aren't causing global warming. Anyone remember acid rain? Fact is, everything we emit ends up in our air and therefore in our lungs. Our trees and plants can only process so much - and considering how many we have cut down and paved over, it's not going to get any better. So the next time you start your car, think for a second about where those exhaust fumes are going. All we're really doing is killing ourselves - very slowly.

2. Waste
All emissions we send into the air are waste; in the case of fossil fuels the emissions by-products of combustion. By reducing emissions, we reduce waste. Reducing waste means processes are more efficient - we can do more with less. Being more efficient means saving money. So can anyone explain to me why so many companies are resisting carbon emission caps? It's very clear: reducing emissions means being more efficient, which saves money - and isn't that what every company is trying to do in the first place? Yes, there is an initial investment to be made - but that investment creates jobs, and the results are money savings that last far longer than the time it takes to recoup the investment. Of course the oil companies want us to use more oil - but even they are dumb if they think the oil will last forever. At some point we have to stop wasting it and they need to diversify. On a personal level - use less fuel (reduce waste) and save yourself some money. It doesn't get much easier than that.

Whether you believe in global warming or not, the task before us remains the same - we must reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and cut our emissions dramatically before it's too late. Remember there are 6 billion of us on earth - every step each one of us takes adds up to a huge difference.