Are We Doing Enough? A Progress Report on the Climate Change Crisis

By Dora Varis

A Progress Report: Are We Reducing our Collective Carbon Footprint Quickly and Efficiently Enough?

"The world is our only home. It is what is at stake. It is our time to rise again to secure our future" - Al Gore.

It's been five years since Al Gore made us aware of the alarming extent of the climate change crisis. In his poignant documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, Mr. Gore charged us with the task of changing the way we think about and use energy. His was an urgent plea for a grassroots-fueled movement that would greatly reduce the global carbon emissions that are threatening our eco-systems and endangering our planet.

He told us that we have the available technology to accomplish the task at hand, but that we need the political will, collective will individual will to turn things around. We have all contributed to global warming and we all, as a population of concerned and responsible Americans, need to adopt a constellation of techniques to reverse the trend of rising CO2 levels in our atmosphere. Mr. Gore stressed the imperative of reducing our carbon emissions to zero and proposed that we take the following initiatives:

Electrical End-Use Efficiency: Buy energy efficient appliances and light bulbs. Turn things off and unplug them when not in use. Turn the heat down and the air-conditioning off when it isn't absolutely necessary.

Other End-Use Efficiency: Weatherize our houses, reduce consumer purchases involving items that will end up in our landfills, recycle whatever can be recycled and reuse items instead of buying them new.

Passenger Vehicle Efficiency: Buy hybrid cars if possible, or at the very least, drive cars that run on as little gas as possible. Limit the number of automobile trips by combining errands, carpooling and working longer workdays.

Other Transport Efficiency: Bike or walk to work. Take the bus, train or other mass transit instead of driving. By developing energy efficient means of transportation we will be reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

Renewable technology: Switch to renewable sources of energy like solar or wind turbine sources. Start a garden, using compost as fertilizer from food scraps that you have recycled from your leftovers.

Plant trees, lots of 'em: We are in dire need of reforestation as our eco-systems are breaking down in part due to the massive de-forestation taking place in the rainforests south of the border and our own forests because of over-logging for lumber and wood-based products.

Vote for leaders who will pledge to solve the problem: Speak up in your community and insist on legislation that requires big business polluters to stop practices that contaminate our waterways, our food supply and the air we breathe. Learn as much as you can about climate change and then put your knowledge into action.

Progress Report: So, how are we doing?

In the Kyoto Protocol as well as the Copenhagen Accord, the UN has shown support for climate mitigation to the tune of 100 billion dollars. There are new grants offering aid to those who create green jobs and eco-friendly alternative technologies as well as sustainable energy initiatives.. We are now seeing new methods for bio fuels, energy cells and green technologies being developed. We are also seeing programs designed to mitigate rising seas and weather extremes.

President Obama has set a goal of getting 25% of the nation's electricity from solar, wind and other carbon-free sources within the next 15 years. Tax incentives are now available for weatherizing and making green home improvements and installing solar or wind generated systems.

Green is now really "in". The fallout from '08 economic crisis has meant that new jobs must be created to replace jobs that have been lost. The movement towards energy efficiency and sustainable living could very well create tomorrow's green jobs:

Automobile manufacturers are being forced to create energy efficient models in order to compete with foreign companies and the demand for sustainable energy is more pressing than ever. There are government sponsored training programs that will convert electricians, plumbers and contractors and other blue collar workers into the 2010-2020 Green Team.

Top 10 Green Jobs

Farmers - local and organic farmers there are grants available for sustainable agriculture
Foresters - sustainable forestry
Solar Power installer
Energy Efficient Builder
Wind-Turbine fabricator
Conservation biologist
Green MBA entrepreneur
Recycler
Urban Planner
Sustainable Systems Developer

By 2012 clean energy investments sponsored by recovery act should create 700,000 new jobs. These initiatives are changing production, distribution and usage of energy to reduce greenhouse gasses, gas emissions and fuel efficiency.

Foreign companies are increasing their presence in the U.S., betting on the current administration's commitment to Green Energy, renewable resources, green job creation and fuel efficient automobile manufacturing. In fact, most worldwide, green-energy industries believe the United States will be the largest market for green industry in the world.

However, although we are seeing some improvements and initiatives towards re-greening our planet, there are those who form an active coalition against taking any action to avert disaster. Corporate self-interest groups whose only concern is the effect of these changes on their bottom line are still muddying the media waters with their attempts to confuse the issue. We need change and we need a lot of it ... now.

This is by no means a comprehensive accounting of all the many ways that We the People are progressing along the road to eco-friendly living and turning back rising sea levels, Co2 levels and reducing our collective carbon footprint. Seeing a few baby beginning steps being taken by a few, is no excuse to lessen the efforts of the many. Indeed, we need to consider our progress so far as a warm-up for the continuation and increase of concerted and vigorous efforts toward reducing global warming and securing our children's future.

"If we do the right thing, then we are going to create a lot of wealth, create a lot of jobs. Doing the right thing moves us forward" - Al Gore.

Dora Varis is an musician and professional writer with a passion for green eating and natural living alternatives: http://www.thegreenregime.com Join the green wave of super foods and conscious living and receive FREE guidance with the article series "Miracle Healing Greens" by visiting: http://www.thegreenregime.com/miracle-green-healing/miracle-healing-greens-part-i/

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