The first step in fighting climate change is to be
aware that it is real and that it is a problem.

If voters, consumers, industries and governments don't realize that climate change is an issue, there is no chance that the problem will be dealt with. Solutions are useless until they are actually implemented, and therefore a major part of dealing with climate change is to bring it into the public conscience.

The world faces many problems, and it is reasonable to ask why we should spend time and effort dealing with climate change while many people are forced to struggle with the more immediate task of gaining access to survival necessities like food, water and basic health care. The answer is that the Earth's climate is inextricably linked to the availability of food and water, and health issues such as disease. If climate change is not dealt with, the problems of meeting these basic needs will become more severe.

The good news:
The good news is there is a lot of room for immediate progress. A substantial amount of greenhouse gas emissions from consumer goods and industries exist not because of technological or cost barriers to reducing emissions, but because greenhouse gas emissions were not considered to be an issue.

From 1987 to 2004 the average fuel economy of cars and
light trucks in the US declined from 22.0 mpg to 19.3 mpg.

It hasn't become more expensive or difficult to build efficient cars; consumers and industry just didn't consider efficiency to be an issue.

Conservation:
One of the easiest ways to combat greenhouse gas emissions is to cut back on wasteful uses of energy. Conservation can also have the added benefit of saving you money. Things like fuel efficient cars, carpooling, public transportation, compact fluorescent light bulbs and good insulation in your home not only reduce your footprint on the environment, they reduce your energy bills.

Here are some web resources with more information about what you can do to conserve energy and minimize your impact on the environment:

 del.icio.us     Facebook     Propeller     Stumble