So we've come to the final part of our little global warming party, and now it's time to blow out the candles, fire the scary clown and eat cake with our fingers.

The causes of global warming are well debated, but the solutions are a different story. You've probably read about thousands of ways that you can positively impact the environment by adopting green practices in your everyday lives, but what about the very real policy changes that are key to reversing the effects of climate change 10, 20 and 50 years from now?

According to Environmental Defense, there a four keys to global warming policy. I have taken the liberty to expand and explain in a little more detail, minus the legislative and technical hobgobble.
So without further delay, I present to you the final part of the global warming primer:

A Limit on Global Warming Pollution Though this seems obvious, current legislation is locked in debate because there hasn't been a concrete precedence for truly limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Placing caps on emissions and offering economic incentives for countries that do so are current methods, as well as the newer Renewable Energy Certificates, which allow consumers and businesses to purchase the environmental benefits of replacing traditional energy with renewable. But there still needs to be a global consensus on either setting standards, or finding a middle ground that does not harm economies.

Trading
All economic sectors must help one another, meaning developing economies receive help from the big boys, ensuring that global renewable energy standards are not out of reach for certain countries. Basically, larger companies and governments sell carbon offsets and implement environmental projects in areas that cannot sustain on their own.

Biofuel Technology
Agriculturally produced fuels are in the works as we speak. In fact, there is a Texas plant converting cow manure to natural gas, and research on plant-based fuels for vehicles is ongoing. This is one area that Environmental Defense feels is in need of additional policy to support development and funding.

Open the Market
Give the reigns of developing new green standards and technology to economic leaders, as in the companies driving the other kind of green. Competition among said companies is unfortunately trampling many opportunities to expand research and development of renewable resources, so why not provide economic incentives and additional breaks to companies that introduce new energy standards and products.

Once more, the debate rolls on. Whether global warming is man made or not really isn't the central issue. Despite a popular consensus that climate change needs to be reversed, the need to adopt global standards still remains relatively untouched, with many taking the lead on providing consumers with options to purchase renewable energy for their homes.

Ever wondered where exactly the movement for renewable energy began? Try picturing the Romans building a water mill in France circa 250-400 AD and you'll understand the breadth of time that green energy covers. The term green energy may seem hip and contemporary with all of the media attention it's grabbing at the moment, but the time line of renewable energy events in history proves otherwise.

800-1500 AD
The Vikings sailed the many seas, and consequently were on of the earliest civilizations to truly use wind power, and led to their domination of the ocean during the height of viking exploration.

500-900 AD
The Persians developed windmills to help pump water for agriculture, as well as grinding grain.

1888
This year marked the introduction of the first wind turbine used for generating electricity in the U.S.

Beginning of the 20th century
The Italians were the first to harness hydrothermal power and convert it to electricity used for commercial purposes.

1950's
First silicon solar cell is invented in the U.S. at Bell Telephone Labs. The cell produced approximately 5 milliwatts of electricity.

1970's
National Renewable Energy Laboratory is formed, gathering initial support for the research and development of renewable energy technology.

1980's
First U.S. wind farm is constructed. Consequently, the two largest wind farms in the world now reside in Texas.

Current
The Renewable Energy Standards (RES) are setting new bars of achievement for providing customers with electricity produced from entirely renewable resources. Several states, including Texas, have adopted these standards as a means of reducing U.S. dependency on foreign fossil fuel resources.

With new wind farms being built, agricultural research into biomass energy, wave energy research and more to come, it's easy to forget that renewable or green energy has been a part of our energy history for many, many years. Now with the push for renewable energy standards growing annually, the opportunities for families to enjoy the comforts of home while maintaining and improving the sustainability of our environment are multiplying.

For a more detailed time line, check out the Energy Information Administration site.

Limiting our carbon footprint requires not only a conscious effort to conserve energy and discover alternative fuel sources, but also a greater understanding of how humans have served as a significant catalyst in global climate change. Here are a few leading causes that humans have contributed to:

• Transportation If only we had listened to the Jetsons sooner. The EPA attributes nearly two-thirds of carbon emissions to automobiles and trucks since 1990, and nearly 20 percent annually. Exhaust contrails from airplanes contribute 2-3 percent of carbon emissions annually, making U.S. transportation as significant factor in recent climate change studies.
• Landfills Humans dump a ton of trash, which is nothing shocking. What most of us probably don't realize is that methane is produced as landfills gradually decompose, producing 34 percent of all methane emissions. Methane is particularly harmful—even though its concentration in the atmosphere is far lower than other gases—because it is capable of trapping more heat than other greenhouse gases.
• Deforestation Ever since Fern Gully, the push for saving global rain forest populations has been at the forefront for environmentalists. More than 34 million acres are burned each year, which throws the carbon dioxide balance off that is normally maintained through photosynthesis.

What is more disturbing is the ongoing debate over how much impact humans have had on global warming. The above examples are only a few factors, but it remains to be seen whether global warming science will lead people to adopt wholesale changes for a greener tomorrow.

The nation's largest manure-to-natural gas plant is now operational, taking 10 truckloads of dairy-cow manure daily and producing natural gas for energy consumption. In the quest for alternative energy—specifically biomass research—it's refreshing to see the agricultural sector try and take the reigns of the technology race. After all, the economy only benefits more as companies invest in green technology and research.

Global warming is big right now, pulling more name drops in international media than Britney Spears and Ron Paul put together. With the recent Nobel Prize awarded to Al Gore for his film foray and leadership in raising awareness of increasing climate change issues, the world is going greener by the day. For the sake of our sanity and piece of mind, this multi-part blog will help you understand more about the global warming phenomena, so that you can make informed decisions about your impact on the environment.

Fossil fuels contribute the largest percentage of greenhouse gas emissions, more so than any natural process such as photosynthesis. The human footprint on the environment is showing up more and more in scientific evidence. Statistics provided by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) are a bit eye opening.

• Power Plants produced 2,459,800 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2006
• 1,035,346 metric tons of coal was consumed in 2006 for electricity production. As of 2006, coal was the second largest producer of carbon emissions with more than two million metric tons annually.
• In 2006 the United States consumed 20.8 million barrels of oil per day. Petroleum is the king of carbon producers, with more than 2.5 million metric tons emitted into the Earth's atmosphere per year.
• 98 percent of energy in the United States is produced from non-renewable sources. Only two percent comes from wind, solar, biomass and other green energy sources.

There are many factors that are contributing to the increased awareness surrounding climate change and how we can make a lasting impact on its prevention. Please stay tuned in the following weeks for more information to help us understand the cause and effect of the global warming phenomenon, as well as possible solutions that we can implement in our daily lives.