Best Global Warming Volunteer Opportunity

The most accessible volunteer opportunity toremain relatively accessible to citizen activists, and
combat global warming is to change the way youhave increasingly taken the lead on global
live, and to do it in the most public way possible.warming, with more than 225 US cities pledging
US citizens account for only 5% of the world'ssupport for the Kyoto protocol or even more
population, but 25% or more of its total resourcestringent reductions in emissions, despite
consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Ourfoot-dragging at the national level. If you can join
consumer society is a system with great inertiaor start a local global warming/climate change
that has already contributed disproportionately toaction group, your efforts to influence your local
the onset of global warming. The types and scalegovernment have a high likelihood of success.
of changes required to halt global warming will notState and local politics often turn on anticipated
be accomplished by governments concerned witheconomic impact and voter interest; bring this
reelection; if you want to see such change, youtopic to council meetings, show what changes you
must initiate it, and start by altering your own life.are making and how many people are getting
You can be a pioneer in the struggle to stopinvolved, and emphasize the power of local and
global warmingstate initiatives to spark innovation and bring
It is possible but difficult to do this alone, oneeconomic growth in the growing fields of
volunteer. But the more people see the path youalternative energy and environmental remediation.
choose and examples you provide of what they* Macro change: The Intergovernmental Panel on
can do, the easier it will be for them to join you.Climate Change, the highest international scientific
The more people work together in these ways,body working on this topic, recently released its
the more viable this alternate path becomes;latest assessment and stated unequivocally that
together, you form a movement. You gain thehumans are causing global warming, laying out a
visibility necessary to influence behaviors andrange of likely global ecological changes over the
change minds in other places, amplifying yournext century that go from bad to worse,
positive impact.depending on how soon we can halt our
Changing yourself is easy, you may say, butgreenhouse gas emissions. The reality of global
you're only one person-how can you increaseclimate change is no longer a matter of debate,
your impact?and failure to engage in substantial, rapid change
There are three major levels at which to work:starting immediately must not be tolerated. At
* Personal change: This is where you have thesome level, local change begins to influence
most control: you can take many steps, includingnational debate. Use the power of your local and
choosing to sell your car, ride your bike, buy yourstate accomplishments to influence your senators
goods and services from the most local sourcesand representatives in Congress. Write or call
available, grow your own food instead ofthem regularly to make clear that, far from
importing it from thousands of miles away, andinjuring their elective prospects, supporting
retrofit your home or build a new one forlarge-scale, rapid national action on the
maximum energy efficiency; you'll drasticallyoverwhelming US contribution to global warming is
reduce your energy consumption in numerousthe only way to ensure your support and that of
ways, and be a direct example to others of thethe rapidly growing body of
best opportunity available to halt global warming.environmentally-motivated voters.
* Local change: Local and state governments