We have been hearing for years about greenhouse gases. It has been on the news, in the papers, all over the internet, and possibly even a topic of conversation at work. But what exactly are greenhouse gases? Why should we be concerned?

Greenhouse gases, in their purest form, occur naturally in the earth’s atmosphere. They include water vapor, ozone, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. When occurring naturally greenhouse gases actually help the earth keep it’s stable temperature, without theses naturally occurring gases trapping the sun’s energy the Earth’s temperature would be over thirty degrees lower than it currently is.

So, what’s the bad news?

Unfortunately, there is bad news. As our world has become more populated more human made gases are building up in the atmosphere. For many years humans lived with no concern for the earth’s atmosphere and now the results are becoming evident. There are still natural gases in the atmosphere, but human made gases are building up at an alarming rate and causing global warming. It is important for us to be aware of what actions and activities produce these poisonous gases and what we can do about it.

• Carbon dioxide is responsible for the majority of the gases created by humans. It results from burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas as well as production waste from iron and steel plants. The making of cement and waste combustion also add to the carbon dioxide we produce.
• Methane is largely a result of landfill waste. As our world has become more populated an increase in our trash production has released large amounts of methane into the air.
• Nitrous Oxide is not something we produce in large quantities, like carbon dioxide but we do produce enough to do damage. The burning of fossil fuels, the recycling of animal waste and the making of fertilizer all release nitrous Oxide.

Knowing the sources of human produced gases and recognizing the dangers of these gases has lead to a “eco-movement” focusing on ways to slow down the damage to the earth’s atmosphere. Every single person can make small changes and contribute to this important effort

• Save energy by simply turning off you lights when you leave a room and walking instead of driving short distances
• Use alternate energy sources to power your life. Wind power, water power, and solar power are all forms of energy that do not release harmful gases.
• Limit your waste by using the three R’s. By reusing, recycling, and reducing you will limit the quantity of waste you and your family produce. This will help control the amount of methane released into the atmosphere.

Using the above simple solutions will make a huge difference in the health of our planet. It takes 21 days to break a bad habit. Commit yourself for this period of time to changing your wasteful behaviors to green behaviors. An added bonus is that if your children are raised in a green home they will live green lives. Your behavior will be a tribute to our future.