What do these things have in common?

1. failure to use a condom
2. volcanic eruptions
3. buying imported foods
4. the earth’s tilt
5. leaving the lights on when leaving a room
6. wildfires
7. running unnecessary errands in your car

Though some are natural events and others intentional/unintentional human activities, all can engender consequences which contribute to climate change.

Whether or not you believe climate change is happening, and regardless of your stance on this subject as  policitically polarizing (or not),  here are some data, courtesy of the World Resources Institute’s Sustainability House graph:

• 13.5% of greenhouse gas emissions are transportation related

• Another 13.5% comes from agricultural activities

• 24.6% of these emissions are from electricity and heat

• 10.4% are industrial

• 18.2% are related to changes in land use

Yale’s recent project Global Warming’s 6 Americas 2009: An Audience Segmentation Analysis determined that we are extremely segmented in our beliefs and understanding of this issue. The project determined that we can be divided into 6 separate Americas based on our perceptions of the reality/unreality and extent of this problem and regarding whether individual change or national policy is the solution. Reading the report is a good place to start in deciding where you fall on this 6 Americas continuum.

What can an individual do about climate change?

And, by the way, where do I get off discussing this subject in a non-political blog?

8 years as a middle school science teacher prior to my present career has, I hope, informed some of the household practices we have always adhered to: no paper towels or plates, no tissues (we use cloth hankies), no disposable diapers, and composting wherever we have lived.

You’re probably already doing what you think you need to do but if you have questions, you could just spend an afternoon with my husband, Don, the resident energy czar. If you can’t track him down (he is probably checking our water barrels or installing more weatherstripping), just follow some of these principles at work and home:

• Teach your friends and family that in your home, you practice the good old 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

• Update your appliances so that they have earned Energy Star ratings

• Turn off your computer when not in use

• Seal and insulate your home

• Use water efficiently in and around your home

• Monitor your tire pressure

As for me, I am NOT an expert and I am NOT an activist, just a person from one of those 6 Americas who today  lives and works in a house on a well, with a low water use washing machine and a hybrid vehicle in the driveway. And a person who tries not to be wasteful but who probably is in many unacknowledged ways. For instance:

All of us entrepreneur types go to meetings at places like coffeehouses: do we bring our own coffee mug along?

We stay in touch with our clients and colleagues on computers that are likely ALWAYS on: is that necessary?

Learning more

Here is more information if you’re ready to change some personal habits this year, or if you concluded this problem is larger than what changes in personal habits can accomplish:
Climate Change Communication
Do Personal Changes Matter? Yes Yes Yes
Clean, Green and Fair to Everyone
Taking Personal Responsibility for Climate Change
Creating a Personal Plan for Climate Change Part 2: Taking Political Action

And speaking of that, here are some related posts from the Loosely Speaking archives:

58 Hankies: Going Green in the Home Office
Best of Blog Action Day 2008
Blog Action Day 2008
Pick Your Issue and Drive it Home (Blog Action Day 2007)