The biggest hurdle to reducing climate change is ourselves. Numbed by epic destruction scenes in the movies the illustrations need to be harder hitting, more shocking, terrorising us into the realisation that we just can’t continue our consumer behaviour. The UK alone disposes of a quarter of the food needed to feed Africa in one year.

 

Getting to the top, aspiring to have the best, the most is destroying the atmosphere, that is pretty well established, unless there is a global conspiracy to undermine developing nations with growth restrictions for the sake of our environment. We need to get our heads hearts and fears around the reality of climate change. The science is huge, the diagrams are bigger, unknown names pour out of fact affirming doc’s warning of the changes we all face.

 

But still we gulp and gaze on lovingly at the latest shiny ad offering perfection, at least for the moment. It seems we can’t get past ourselves. Like kids we wait to see what others are going to do when it comes to sacrifices but first in line if something is up for grabs? How will trading in emissions change anything except to add new commodities in the market place. Each action or commitment to change a behaviour for the better means less harm on more vulnerable communities exposed to severe temperature and climate changes affecting crops, lives and futures. Taking a stake in the planet benefits everyone so why is it so difficult to get there?

 

Because we are market conditioned to expect more new things, our success reflected for modern times. Sacrifice is alien to us as we huff n tut our way through everyday things. We have a huge climb ahead, to get over ourselves. Al Gore, and there’s more Al Gore believes the road to solving the climate crisis winds through American pop culture, from “American Idol” and “The Biggest Loser” on through “The Daily Show” and “The 700 Club.” The former vice president and the beneficiary of his Nobel Prize, the Palo Alto-based Alliance for Climate Protection, want Washington politicians to act faster to solve the climate crisis. And they think the way to do this is to create a popular movement that appeals to Americans through the pop culture that unites them, rather than political issues that divide them.

 

Their three-year public advocacy campaign - estimated to cost $300 million - called “We” premieres Wednesday night with a 30-second ad on “Idol,” the nation’s top-rated TV show, where 30 seconds of advertising time costs roughly $700,000. The “We” effort aims to create an army of 10 million activists, twice the size of the group that drove the civil rights movement. The first ad tells viewers that Americans didn’t wait to storm the beaches of Normandy in World War II, or to overcome segregation or to put the first man on the moon. “We need to act now” to solve the climate crisis, the ad says.

 

Some suggestions for personal change from the WWF, some slight and easy others might pose a challenge:

 

Choose clean energy
Where possible select a power plan that uses at least 50% clean energy.

Recycle
Recycling saves a lot of energy needed to make new products. Recycle 50% of your glass, aluminum, plastic,cardboard and newspapers.

Adjust your thermostat
Turn it down 3 degrees in the winter and up 3 degrees in the summer for air conditioning.
Buy a programmable thermostat
Automatically lower your monthly energy bill by giving your heat and air conditioning a break while you are asleep or out.
Replace a worn-out refrigerators
The US would need 30 less power plants if all Americans used the most efficient refrigerators. Visit EPA’s Energy Star Website to see a list of energy efficient appliances.

Turn your computer off overnight

Standby mode on TV’s and Monitors still uses energy

Wash clothes in cold or warm water
Skip the hot water on 2 loads per week. You’ll save energy and should have less wrinkled cloths.

Use compact fluorescent bulbs
It’s a bright idea to replace 3 incandescent bulbs with fluorescent bulbs that last up to 10 times as long and use 1/4 of the energy.

Drive a hybrid or fuel efficient car
Save the environment and money by driving a car that gets at least 32mpg

Drive 15 miles less each week
Shrink your petrol costs and your waistline by walking, biking and taking public transportation.

Avoid idling

Give your engine and the climate a break by turning off your car when you aren’t moving... except in traffic or at a stop light of course. Try to cut out 10 minutes of daily idling.
Keep your tires correctly inflated
Your ride will be smoother and you’ll save up to 5% on your fuel.