| Follow these 3 tips to prevent or reduce some of | | | | only get better when you demand adequate |
| your most significant personal contributions to global | | | | services; vote with your feet (and bring all your |
| warming. | | | | friends!) to demonstrate the need. |
| If you wish to prevent further global warming, you | | | | Global Warming Prevention #2: Buy local, eat local |
| must be willing to set aside the cultural norms by | | | | You may have noticed the proliferation of farmer's |
| which you currently live, and accept that you and | | | | markets around the country over the past decade or |
| everyone you know must sooner or later learn to | | | | so. This is not just a quaint fad, but rather a vital, |
| live on a fraction of the energy you currently | | | | direct-action opportunity to reduce your global |
| consume. By all counts, there is no other way. | | | | warming impact and increase local food security. |
| The earth is large but finite. The result of the | | | | When you purchase from your local area, you not |
| enormous human population and the environmental | | | | only reduce the amount of carbon emissions required |
| impact of our current way of life is that we are | | | | to support your lifestyle, you also help to keep |
| rapidly extinguishing the Earth's biodiversity and | | | | money in your community. |
| degrading most ecosystems, creating a bleak future | | | | The long-distance transport of food and other goods |
| for ourselves. | | | | comes with a heavy ecological cost;the average meal |
| There are numerous ways in which our learning to | | | | on your plate in the US has traveled 2000 miles to |
| live with less will take place; there is no single, magic | | | | get to you, which helps to explain why every calorie |
| button solution that will solve the problem of global | | | | of food you consume costs an average of ten |
| warming. The following tips discuss some of most | | | | calories of energy to produce it. That imbalance fuels |
| potent possibilities, in that implementing them will cut | | | | the global warming fire by adding far more carbon to |
| out or reduce some of your most significant personal | | | | the atmosphere than is necissary to meet your |
| contributions to global warming: | | | | dietary needs. |
| Global Warming Prevention Tip #1: Sell your car | | | | One great resource to help you buy and eat more |
| Yup, the past century of personal motorized travel | | | | locally is: |
| has been a very convenient, luxurious, and enjoyable | | | | A partial change is better than no change; you |
| demonstration of grossly unsustainable human | | | | probably can't eliminate processed and imported |
| activity. According to the Energy Information | | | | goods from your life tomorrow, but the more needs |
| Administration ( the transportation sector overtook | | | | you can meet locally, the more you reduce your |
| industry as the biggest US producer of carbon | | | | carbon footprint and contribute to the prevention of |
| emissions in 1999, and motor fuel accounts for 60% | | | | further global warming. |
| of total US production of carbon emissions over the | | | | Global Warming Prevention Tip #3: Make your local |
| past 20 years. You probably contribute to these | | | | government part of the solution |
| emissions in a variety of ways, but you have the | | | | No politician interested in reelection is going to |
| greatest ability to reduce the role you play in this by | | | | sponsor the kind of legislation required to alleviate our |
| changing how you relate to your car. | | | | massive responsibility for global warming without an |
| One of the best alternatives to owning your own car | | | | organized citizenry pushing for better climate |
| is to join a car co-op. In fact, car co-ops now | | | | legislation. Only when citizen activism shifts this topic |
| operate in a growing number of cities around the | | | | into the mainstream will the government move to act |
| world. Go here to find the closest car sharing option | | | | on it substantively. Influcing the federal government |
| to you: | | | | on this issue may seem daunting, but pushing your |
| No care sharing going on in your area? You can start | | | | local government to take action on global warming |
| your own--check out for a primer. | | | | may bear fruit quickly (for help, check out |
| If you cannot yet relinquish your car, make mileage | | | | Your personal action matters. Sell your car, buy your |
| efficiency the top deciding factor in choosing a | | | | food from local sources, and pressure your |
| vehicle, and start working now on any changes you | | | | governments to act. Most important of all, be vocal |
| need to make in your life to let you get rid of your | | | | with friends, family, and strangers alike about why |
| car as soon as possible. | | | | you're making these changes, and what is at stake. |
| Public transportation is the only reasonable, long-term | | | | Many people are making changes to combat climate |
| solution to the majority of our transport needs. It is | | | | change, but we need you to join us right away. Start |
| slowly improving as US cities confront the impacts of | | | | here and now. It can be done. |
| an infrastructure built around cars and trucks. It will | | | | |