How to fix global warming

The Earth has a fever. Can we cool it down?

Burning coal, oil and gas releases gases that trap heat, like a blanket wrapped around the planet.

So the fix has one big idea: put fewer heat-trapping gases into the air, and take some back out.

• Cut gases. Remove gases.

First fix: swap dirty energy for clean energy from the sun, wind and water.

Clean power makes electricity without burning anything, so almost no heat-trapping gas comes out.

Second fix: use less energy. Better lights, better buildings, and fewer wasted trips.

Third fix: change how we travel. Electric cars, trains and buses use far less fuel per person.

• Transport: go electric

Fourth fix: protect forests. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide and lock it away in their wood.

Here is how our heat-trapping gases roughly split by source, so we know where to aim. Look at the tallest bar: energy. That is why clean power is the biggest single fix. Think of the gases as water filling a bathtub. We must turn the tap down, not just mop.

One example: a school swaps ten old lights for efficient ones and adds solar panels on the roof.

Everyone helps: governments set rules, companies build clean tech, and you can save energy and plant trees. Quick check before we finish. To fix global warming, we cut heat-trapping gases with clean energy and saving power, and let forests soak up the rest.