Tackling Global Warming

As we move towards the future, technology is developing rapidly to assist in solving our problems. These problems range from simple issues, such as improving the quality of paper products to the advanced such as improving the quality of life and condition of our planet. Global warming is one of the topics that many of our politicians all decide to sit around and talk about, without showing much progress, which is a cause of great frustration for peoples all over the world.

Too often the politicians involved are too caught up with trying to prove their opponent wrong to actually improve the situation. This causes further problems, and compounds the problem. Each time the topic is revisited it causes heated discussions from members of parties who drive large expensive cars, which consume gallons of gas, and release large quantities of smog into the air. No one wants to lead the way, and why should they? Conservative politics pays their bills.

As the future is expanded into new and brighter horizons, there are developing ways of trying to help prevent the destruction of the planet. These methods range from cleaner and gentler chemicals, to even the ideals of "green" power. Car manufacturers are even getting into the swing of helping improve the planet by producing hybrid vehicles that are easier on the environment, use less gas, oil and other toxic chemicals, and have lower emissions rates. All that's left is a major Western societal change, and a widespread recognition of the problems we are facing to change this situation.

The government is doing a great job of helping encourage manufacturers, by offering tax breaks and other incentives. This is always wonderful to help reduce the emissions rates for vehicles, and slowly the tax incentives are expanding to allow other companies the same discounts and savings for switching to cleaner more energy efficient methods. Is this a good thing? Should the government really be encouraging this behavior? Many say that yes, it should be encouraged and programs that encourage the use of cleaner power, and less environmentally hazardous chemicals should always be rewarded, especially since the cost of such methods and chemicals tend to be more expensive.

Normal taxpayers are not seeing the benefits of trying to go "green" when looking at their own budgets. Many electrical companies are starting to offer "green blocks" of power which can be purchased, however these blocks are purchased in addition to the normal household power consumption, and do not allow discounts on the next months bill in exchange for the purchase. Something seems a bit odd here, major manufacturers are encouraged with tax breaks and incentives to switch to cleaner methods, but millions of households are not.

It seems, a good step in the direction of correcting global warming, would be to create a program to help reward the small things that households could easily do. That would save thousands, if not millions of watts of power each year. This would reduce immensely the amount of power that is needed to be produced, and allow the power companies to help clean up large areas at a time, instead of just a few manufacturing areas which have fallen into disuse.

While it is a wonderful idea to clean up the smog-ridden towns, and reduce the energy uses, so that resources from the ground are not burned continuously in the pursuit of energy. There are smaller things that can be done on a very large scale that would help reduce the amount of damage that is done to the ozone layer each year, and would greatly slow the damage that the human race is causing to our greatest asset, our planet. It's not the burden of the government, nor is it the burden of the people. We can all make the change, but it needs the collective of humanity to make the difference our planet so dearly needs.