What causes global warming?

“Global warming” means that the Earth is getting hotter. Scientists think that the Earth's temperature will increase by 2 to 6°C by 2100. This will kill coral reefs and animals that live in cold places. It will also cause storms and spread disease.

People cause global warming. When we drive cars, turn on the lights, and take showers, we use energy. When we use energy, carbon dioxide is made. That carbon dioxide helps heat the Earth.

How much carbon dioxide do you make each year? Go to this website and find out by answering the questions. Use the example below to help you.

What state do you live in?
I live in Hawaii, so I chose “HI”.

How many people live in your household?
I live with my husband. That means that two people live in my household.

What kind of car do you drive?
I don't have a car, so I didn't answer this question. (By the way, the make of your car is its brand.)

How many miles do you drive each year?
I don't have a car, so I didn't answer this question.

How many flights do you take every year?
I fly to other islands in Hawaii and back to Honolulu once every year. I fly from Hawaii to the mainland and back three times every year. I fly from Hawaii to Japan and back once every year. So, I chose four short flights, four medium flights, four long flights, and two extended flights.

What is your average monthly electric bill?
I chose “$25–50”.

What % of your electricity comes from clean, renewable sources such as solar or wind?
In Hawaii, about 7% of our electricity comes from renewable sources. (This information is from www.heco.com)

What is your average monthly natural gas bill?
I chose “$0–25”.

What is your average monthly heating oil bill?
I don't have heating oil, so I didn't answer this question.

What is your average monthly propane bill?
I don't have propane, so I didn't answer this question.

My total is 5.9 tons of carbon per year. My personal impact is smaller than average.

How much carbon do you make? What is your personal impact? Post your answer in the discussions.

Next, do the vocabulary exercises.

Go Green! Online ESL Course by Elizabeth Lavolette is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.