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As the human species increases its energy consumption, the effect on the environment is intensifying. The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere has climbed by 30 percent over the last 100 years, the largest increase occurring in the last three decades. As a result, global temperatures have risen an average 1 degree Fahrenheit, with temperatures likely to climb another 3.5 to 8 degrees by 2050.  Learn more about what you can do to reduce global warming.

The air we breathe is being polluted by driving cars and trucks; burning coal, oil, and other fossil fuels, and manufacturing chemicals. 40% of America’s rivers and 46% of America’s lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life. Through pollution prevention we can reduce or eliminating waste at the source by modifying production processes, promoting the use of non-toxic or less-toxic substances, implementing conservation techniques, and re-using materials rather than putting them into the waste stream.  Learn more about what you can do.

The Earth’s climate is now clearly out of balance and is warming. Many components of the climate system-including the temperatures of the atmosphere, land and ocean, the extent of sea ice and mountain glaciers, the sea level, the distribution of precipitation, and the length of seasons-are now changing at rates and in patterns that are not natural and are best explained by the increased atmospheric abundances of Greenhouse Gases and aerosols generated by human activity during the 20th century.  learn more about what you can do to stop global warming.

Recycling is widely accepted. Some two-thirds of Americans all ready practice some form of recycling.  And recycling has a proven economic track record of spurring more economic growth than any other option for the management of waste and other recyclable materials.  Recycling offers the opportunity to cost-effectively decrease GHG emissions in many industries, while simultaneously diminishing methane emissions from landfills.  Learn about what you can do to help.

Your personal computer contains many metals, including gold, silver, aluminum, lead, copper, iron, zinc, and tin.  Many of these materials could be salvaged and recycled.  But currently, most discarded computers are dumped in landfills or incinerated.  Incineration of electronic waste, or e-waste, releases heavy metals and dioxin into the atmosphere. The landfill option is also polluting. In the United States, about 70 percent of the heavy metals in landfills come from e-waste.  learn more about what you can do to help.

Buying organic food promotes a less toxic environment for all living things. With only 0.5% of crop and pasture land in organic, according to USDA that leaves 99.5% of farm acres in the U.S. at risk of exposure to toxic agricultural chemicals.  Learn more about how living an organic lifestyle can help the environment and reduce the impact of global warming.

The world faces a massive water crisis. One in every six people on Earth do not have daily, immediate access to safe drinking water. Think about this for a moment.   Economists estimate that by 2025, with current water use patterns and the growing population, water scarcity will cut global food production by 350 million tons a year.  It’s a problem we can’t ignore any longer.  Learn more about what you can do.

Being green requires developing an attitude toward sustainability and practices that can be incorporated into our everyday lives.  Being a green business means changing the way a business purchases, develops, produces, and provides products and services so it has a positive impact on the environment. Think of the planet as a warehouse of goods.  In this section, find out what companies are implementing green practices and learn about new technologies that are environmentally friendly.