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20 ways you can fight global warming

BY LAURIE GOERING | Chicago Tribune

April 22, 2008

Much has been written about the geopolitics behind the fight against global warming. But effectively stemming climate change also means persuading individuals everywhere to cut their own emissions.

Given polls showing that most Americans are concerned about climate change, the odds are that you're already doing something. Maybe you've traded in the gas guzzler, taught your kids the lost art of turning off the lights or started thinking about solar panels for that new house you hope to build.

The fact is, there are plenty of easy, effective and often cheap ways to help control climate change. A few might even save you time and money, boost your stock portfolio and cut your cholesterol.

As UN expert Rajendra Pachauri put it, the lifestyle changes needed to cut greenhouse-gas emissions "don't mean we go back and start living in caves all over again." We asked some of the world's leading climate-change scientists, policy advisers, economists and energy experts for their ideas on the most effective ways for individuals to make a difference. They came up with a wide range of suggestions. Now it's up to you.

IN THE HOME

If your power company gives you a choice of power sources, pick a renewable one, even if the cost is slightly higher. -- Richard Bradley

Take small and painless steps to save energy. Turn off the computer screen when it's not in use even if the computer stays on. Open windows rather than turning on air conditioning. Buy a light-colored automobile. -- R.B.

Make your home more energy efficient. Install better insulation and double-glazed windows, and paint in a light color. Install a ceiling fan. And take a look at the energy efficiency rating of home appliances before making a selection. -- R.B.

Cut red-meat consumption. The process of putting that juicy red steak on the supermarket shelf is much more greenhouse-gas intensive than that for chicken, fish or other meats. -- R.B.

Change your light bulbs. If every household in the United States replaced incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents on the three light fixtures they use most, the United States would save 131 million megawatt hours of power a year, the output of more than six big coal-fired power plants. -- Philip Clapp

Leave porch light off. Use timers and thermostats to turn off lights, heat, air conditioning and water heaters when not needed. Use motion sensors on lights. -- William Chandler

Quit mowing the grass. Fill your yard with trees and save on gasoline and cooling costs. -- W.C.

ON THE ROAD

Go downtown off-peak--or by train. Lobby political leaders for "congestion pricing" -- fees on private cars entering busy city areas at peak times. --Robert Socolow

Cut unnecessary work travel. Rather than flying or driving to a meeting, try teleconferencing or videoconferencing instead. If you don't have the technology, lobby for it. -- R.S.

Drive reasonably. That means no hard acceleration when the light turns green, checking your tire pressure regularly and just driving less. -- R.B.

Reduce air travel. Frequent air travel is many people's biggest personal contribution to greenhouse gases. -- R.B.

Make choices based on sound economics rather than hype. Fueling your car with ethanol doesn't make sense when the energy costs of producing it aren't that different from using gasoline. -- Robert Mendelsohn

Cut your commuting footprint. The most effective way for an individual to cut his or her greenhouse gas emissions is to choose to live closer to work, use public transportation or to buy a smaller car. -- R.M.

Telecommute. You could cut your transportation emissions by 10 percent to 20 percent and improve your productivity by working at home just one or two days per week. -- W.C.