Perhaps, like many of you, my family and I watched the Live Earth concerts on July 7 and listened to celebrity after celebrity jump on the campaign to fight global warming and climate change. I found it particularly gratifying that so many people from every continent of the world appeared to finally accept global warming as a fact, and a sad reality of our generation. Now we can begin the process of seriously addressing what changes need to be made. One of the oft-repeated points throughout the broadcast was that change happens as one person, one family and one community decides that enough is enough, and realize that changes start with themselves.
I acknowledge that the natural response is to feel that issues as complex are so large that it is difficult to make a difference. But think back a couple of decades to the days when our children were reminding us to save water. Today, our children are reminding us that it is their future and the future of our grand-children that will be threatened by today's inactivity. Yes, curmudgeons and skeptics still remain and believe that global warming is a hoax perpetrated by left-wing fanatics. To these naysayer's I say, join the community of people world-wide who are selflessly and humbly trying to live their lives a different way and make a difference in the future of the planet.
The fundamental challenge is the wise stewardship of resources for the betterment of humankind. Traditionally we think of resources as capital. However, the resources of nature are the true basis for all life. Clean air, water, forests and fertile land are essential to a healthy environment, which is necessary to sustain life.
If we as business leaders in Carlsbad disregard the fragility of nature's resources, we risk destroying the source of the financial capital for which we have assumed responsibility. Perhaps more to the point, we also risk destroying the very base upon which all life depends. Thus, the wise stewardship of our resources must include helping to ensure that a physically hospitable and life-supporting planet is available for future generations.
What does stewardship of nature require? First, we need to look at ourselves and our organizations, making a serious attempt to live and work in harmony with our environment and one another. This means minimizing waste, recycling, reusing materials and utilizing resources in the most efficient manner.
Secondly, we must think about strategies to encourage and promote environmental awareness. Responsible stewardship should consider the environmental effects of corporations in which we own stock, and weigh these consequences in our investment decisions. Our business choices and public relations materials can also be vehicles for promoting environmental responsibility.
Finally, and perhaps most fundamentally, whatever our areas of business interest, we should recognize that all fields of human activity are ultimately dependent on a safe and sustainable physical environment. By integrating this long-term perspective into every aspect of our business thinking and practice, we can greatly extend and enrich the impact of our global and local citizenship.
My family and I signed the Live Earth Pledge, which is appended to this article. I have also included a list of ten very pragmatic things that an individual or family can do to make a difference. I look forward to working with you as we collectively consider how to combat climate change in Carlsbad.
The Live Earth Pledge
I PLEDGE:
1. To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90 percent in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;
2. To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become “carbon neutral;”
3. To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2;
4. To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship and means of transportation;
5. To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;
6. To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and,
7. To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just and prosperous world for the 21st century.
Ten things to do:
Here are 10 simple things you can do to stop global warming and how much carbon dioxide you'll save doing them.
Change a light
Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
Drive less
Walk, bike, carpool or take mass transit more often. You will save one pound of carbon dioxide for every mile you do not drive.
Recycle more
You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide per year by recycling just half of your household waste.
Check your tires
Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3 percent.
Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
Use less hot water
It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of CO2 saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year).
Avoid products with a lot of packaging
You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10 percent.
Adjust your thermostat
Moving your thermostat just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer you could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.
Plant a tree
A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
Turn off electronic devices
Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you're not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
Spread the word!
I acknowledge that the natural response is to feel that issues as complex are so large that it is difficult to make a difference. But think back a couple of decades to the days when our children were reminding us to save water. Today, our children are reminding us that it is their future and the future of our grand-children that will be threatened by today's inactivity. Yes, curmudgeons and skeptics still remain and believe that global warming is a hoax perpetrated by left-wing fanatics. To these naysayer's I say, join the community of people world-wide who are selflessly and humbly trying to live their lives a different way and make a difference in the future of the planet.
The fundamental challenge is the wise stewardship of resources for the betterment of humankind. Traditionally we think of resources as capital. However, the resources of nature are the true basis for all life. Clean air, water, forests and fertile land are essential to a healthy environment, which is necessary to sustain life.
If we as business leaders in Carlsbad disregard the fragility of nature's resources, we risk destroying the source of the financial capital for which we have assumed responsibility. Perhaps more to the point, we also risk destroying the very base upon which all life depends. Thus, the wise stewardship of our resources must include helping to ensure that a physically hospitable and life-supporting planet is available for future generations.
What does stewardship of nature require? First, we need to look at ourselves and our organizations, making a serious attempt to live and work in harmony with our environment and one another. This means minimizing waste, recycling, reusing materials and utilizing resources in the most efficient manner.
Secondly, we must think about strategies to encourage and promote environmental awareness. Responsible stewardship should consider the environmental effects of corporations in which we own stock, and weigh these consequences in our investment decisions. Our business choices and public relations materials can also be vehicles for promoting environmental responsibility.
Finally, and perhaps most fundamentally, whatever our areas of business interest, we should recognize that all fields of human activity are ultimately dependent on a safe and sustainable physical environment. By integrating this long-term perspective into every aspect of our business thinking and practice, we can greatly extend and enrich the impact of our global and local citizenship.
My family and I signed the Live Earth Pledge, which is appended to this article. I have also included a list of ten very pragmatic things that an individual or family can do to make a difference. I look forward to working with you as we collectively consider how to combat climate change in Carlsbad.
The Live Earth Pledge
I PLEDGE:
1. To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90 percent in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;
2. To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become “carbon neutral;”
3. To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2;
4. To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship and means of transportation;
5. To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;
6. To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and,
7. To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just and prosperous world for the 21st century.
Ten things to do:
Here are 10 simple things you can do to stop global warming and how much carbon dioxide you'll save doing them.
Change a light
Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
Drive less
Walk, bike, carpool or take mass transit more often. You will save one pound of carbon dioxide for every mile you do not drive.
Recycle more
You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide per year by recycling just half of your household waste.
Check your tires
Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3 percent.
Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
Use less hot water
It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of CO2 saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year).
Avoid products with a lot of packaging
You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10 percent.
Adjust your thermostat
Moving your thermostat just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer you could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.
Plant a tree
A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
Turn off electronic devices
Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you're not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
Spread the word!