There are things we can do about global warming.

Find that faucet in the house that drips. Change the little tip on the end of the valve stem. Check the outside doors. Functioning seal strips are needed on the inside bottom lips of doors. Another is needed all around the outside perimeter of each door.

Reduce commode flush water by placing water filled jars in the water closet. Check the rubber flapper valve in the water closet for slow leaks. When changing light bulbs, switch from the 60 watt incandescent to the helical 13 watt fluorescent. Close off the main gas valve at the central heater in the summer. Some people close off the gas to the pilot light for the top burners on the range. Burners are ignited by hand held spark igniter. Reduce hot water temperature by turning the knob on the heater, one small notch at a time and one day at a time until the temperature gets “just right”.

Add solar screens to windows that are touched by sunshine. Beautiful plastic Christmas trees are available. These can be disassembled, limb by limb and stored in plastic garbage bags for reuse.

Plant fig trees along the south outside of the home. These provide shade in summer, sunshine in winter and figs in season. Plant large shade bushes along the west side. Find the spot for a large tree to provide cool shade.

Along with a re-roofing job, install the ridge vent. If building and designing a new home, consider a continuos screened opening below the eaves. Staple a radiant barrier on the beams below the roof. These three things will provide flow paths for cool air to come in below, be heated by radiation from the roof and flow our the top through the ridge vent.

William T. Comiskey

Port Neches