If you get the chance to read Paul Hawken’s Drawdown, you will see there are many approaches for reducing our carbon emissions. Some are more surprising than others. Many are things we all can start doing today. What I like about his book is that even those of us who are heavily entrenched in industries like fossil fuels can take major steps without necessarily losing the value of their assets. There is no reason to stall or defer our decisions any further and many reasons to take corrective action right away. After all we have been stalling, or “studying” this problem for 50 years.

I am also very interested in Congress’s current effort to float another bill that places a price on carbon. It is a step forward. We could argue it is too little-too late, but we need to be moving on many fronts. See more on my earlier Facebook Post.

The IPCC report last week should be enough to get everyone moving ahead on some action. There are plenty of options for each of us to choose from. Each of us can get moving today on steps at home, on the highways, and in the office. Check out this list: https://savingtheplaces.com/ten-steps-for-a-cooler-climate/.

Photo by Dominika Greguu0161ovu00e1 on Pexels.com

Now that the elections are over for a few months, we need to double down and make sure government at all levels are pursuing actions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our transportation, agricultural, waste disposal, industrial, and residential sectors. We need to be relentless and stay on top of this issue every day. We need to look at everything we do through a climate lens. We all need to be climate aware.

This should also apply to our purchasing practices. We have a lot of power to demand from the marketplace more sustainable products. Let’s support the leaders and avoid those firms who do not take this situation seriously. Don’t spend a buck without asking yourself the following questions:

1. Do I really need it?
2. Is there a more sustainable option?
3. What will I do with it when I am finished?

So put on your climate-aware glasses and look into the future. We better act now or that future is not going to be so bright.