What Actions Should We Take to Respond to Climate Change?
We should respond prudently to the threats from climate change. These actions should include things that make sense in their own right and which will be important whether the Earth warms or cools in the near future. In the distant future it is a certainty that the Earth will warm beyond what we have today and that the next ice age is waiting in the wings, but not for another 30,000 years or so, according to our present knowledge of solar variability and orbital mechanics (IPCC 2007). However, I am not so sure. Looking at the last 16 Milankovich cycles, we are well within the range of a climate switchover. We should be getting prepared, just in case. If we are concerned about global warming, a guiding principle is to do things that yield a cost savings or are neutral. Overall, we should aim to reduce our cost of goods sold and, at the consumer level, our living expenses, while at the same time “cleaning up our act”. What should we do now? All of us should lead by example, and as much as possible, within the market place, while keeping our personal freedoms we hold so dear. One way to check? Look at your household energy consumption. It is reasonable to have it drop one percent every two years for as long as you have been in your house, just from household maintenance, appliance replacement and replacing light bulbs with fluorescents or LEDs when they burn out (see cflsafety.blogspot.com) for a review of safety concerns). All lights on timers, for example, should be LEDs or at least fluorescents. Do we adjust the thermostat for when nobody is home? Is our shower just a little too long? Perhaps the biggest example would be in not begetting more children than is socially responsible.
See our list of ways to secure energy sources, improve efficiency and alternative energies.