Lowcarbon.doc

My Low Carbon Life
Low-carbon becomes a high-frequency and fashionable word which gets the greatest concern in the world after the promulgation of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol. Meanwhile, a series of related words, such as low-carbon economy, carbon footprint, low-carbon technology, low-carbon lifestyle, low-carbon society, low-carbon city and so on, comes with the tide of fashion. Low-carbon life and low-carbon economy is also one of the hot topics in National People's Congress (NPC) and National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in 2010.
What is low-carbon life ? First of all, we should understand low-carbon. Low-carbon refers to a minimal output of greenhouse gas emissions into the biosphere, specifically refers to the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. So, low-carbon life means a kind of lifestyle in which people do their best to reduce energy consumption and carbon greenhouse gas emissions. Low-carbon economy is an economy model based on low energy consumption, low pollution and low emission.
Why do we advocate and pursue low-carbon life ? Because of the development of the world industrial economy, the fast increase of population, the unlimited increase of the human desire and the unrestrained production and lifestyle, the human living environment, health and safety are becoming more and more worse, for example, the resources that people rely on to survive dwindle, water pollution becomes worse, the Earth's ozone layer suffers an unprecedented crisis, the glacier is thawing, the catastrophic global climate changes appear repeatedly. So, we can say, the high-consumption and high-pollution economy model and life style is becoming the killer of the earth and human beings.
Therefore, low-carbon life is needed by man's own health, harmony between human beings and nature and the development of mankind.
Then, how can we live a low-carbon life? Firstly, we should recognize that low-carbon life is not only a kind of lifestyle but also life attitude. Each of us is responsible for the greenhouse gases we emit in our daily actions. Combating climate change has to take the combined efforts of everyone on the planet. Secondly, we should develop good habits in our daily lives. We can select products with longer shift life when we shop. This can reduce waste and ultimately reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Paper cups are made from cutting forests. We should try not to use them, or select the smaller ones when we do because trees can absorb carbon dioxide and reduce greenhouse gas. We should use efficient light bulbs which use about one-third of the energy of normal bulbs and last 10 times as long. And the lights should be turned off when not needed. This will greatly reduced electricity consumption. We print things out only when necessary, and print double-sided and reduce the margins. All motorized travel is carbon-intensive. Buses and trains are better than cars, but walking or cycling is better still. It's also better for our health and cheaper. Air travel is an environmental disaster. As well as carbon dioxide, planes emit nitrogen oxide, another nasty gas. There are so many low-carbon life actions that it is impossible to list all of them. Low-carbon life can be summarized as moderate food, house, transportation, more sports and not wasting. In terms of traditional Chinese culture, the concept of low-carbon life can also be simplified as industry and thrift.

Following the Copenhagen Conference, China set a target of cutting the nation's carbon intensity by 45 percent by 2020 compared with the level of 2005. Energy conservation and carbon reduction has become a challenge for the government and people of China.
Low-carbon lifestyle has become a trend among certain groups of people. Let’s see how the concept of low-carbon living is being integrated into people's every day life.
Checking expire dates.
We should always select products with longer shelf life when he shops. He says this is to reduce waste and ultimately reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide. 
He believes consumer attitudes can change methods of production, and encourage people to live a low-carbon lifestyle. Paper cups are made from cutting forests. We should try not to use them, or select the smaller ones when we do. Trees can absorb carbon dioxide and reduce greenhouse gas. When people talk about low-carbon life, they often think it's the matter of entrepreneurs, but they forget they themselves are the real engines of production. We should promote low-carbon consumption.
Take public transportation to work.
Another way is to double print the paper.
If you save one ton of paper, that is equivalent to one ton of energy used for producing the paper, that will translate into a reduction of about two and a half tons of CO2.
Policy makers should also play a role.
For example, central heating is supplied by thermal power stations, the majority of offices use non-adjustable heating system, which has lessened users' willingness to save energy. 
As global warming becomes a mounting challenge, low-carbon development is considered to be the best way forward in the long term. Despite increasing efforts by the government to promote the low-carbon lifestyles, it might continuously remain just a trend within certain groups, and not for all Chinese.