(a) What are ten small decisions that you as an individual make that Essay

(a) What are ten small decisions that you as an individual make that impacts upon the environment (b) How might you make each decision differently if you took - Essay Example Even though I live 5 minutes away from the university, I still get a ride rather than chose to walk. As a consequence of this decision, I burn a lot more fuel than I need to and in the process release gases like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere. A healthier alternative is to chose to walk, cycle, carpool or use the public transportation system more often. This way I can save significantly on fuel consumption. Again, I should plan ahead and schedule my errands such that I can get everything done in one trip. Another decision as a result of which I waste a lot of fuel is not switching the engine off when I am waiting to pick up a friend to go someplace. At times I would have waited for as long as 15 minutes. This decision has a two-fold impact on the environment. Firstly, since the fuel used in the vehicles is fossil fuel, it is a waste of the limited resources that we have and secondly, keeping the engine running would result in the production of dangerous gases including carbon monoxide, which pollutes the atmosphere. As an alternative, I can turn off the engine and start again when all my friends get into the vehicle and we are ready to leave. While driving, I prefer to keep my vehicle’s air conditioner turned on at all times – even in stop-and-go traffic. According to Environment Canada (2003a), air conditioning can increase fuel consumption by as much as 20% (para. 1). This decision again results in the release of dangerous gases into the atmosphere. The solution to reduce fuel consumption is to turn of the air conditioner when I have to drive slowly especially at stop and go traffic. Moeller (2004) emphasizes that an average human being breathes about 20 cubic meters of air each day. This amount of air roughly amounts to about 24 kilograms in weight. Hence lungs are by far the most important pathway for environmental pollutants