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Pledge to Go Green

August 2007  |  Issue #1  |  Tierney Anderson

This was the goal for over two billion people when they gathered together in seven locations across the globe to demand an end to the climate crisis. On July 7, 2007 Al Gore's Live Earth Concert, which raised awareness for global warming, kicked off on all seven continents. Through a group of respected and popular musicians, actors, and scientists, the masses of people who gathered for the 24 hour event learned about global warming and what they could do individually to solve the problem. These speakers and performers urged the public recognize and take action against what Al Gore has called an inconvenient truth, the climate crisis. They pledged before billions of people to do all in their power personally to stop contributing to global warming. Every time Al Gore walked onstage at the New York concert he was greeted with an overwhelming applause. All performers and speakers were 100% dedicated to this man's mission. And their enthusiasm made the audience go wild. The one and only thing he asked of his audience was to pledge themselves and share their experience with their friends. So this is what I'm doing. People talk of wanting to make a difference in the world. Here's how. The simplest way that really does create a big change. Sign Al Gore's 7 point pledge:

  1. To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% 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.

People who are willing to change a few simple daily routines are what will make a dramatic difference in the world. 1/5th of America's greenhouse gases come from home energy use. This can change. Start recycling, stop purchasing those 30 pack water bottles and invest in a reusable bottle, turn off lights when not using them and unplug electronics, change three light bulbs to energy efficient ones, plant a few trees, and ride the public transit or carpool a few times a week. If a million people each replaced just 1 incandescent bulb with a Compact Fluorescent (CFL), we could eliminate more than 200,000 tons of CO2 emissions. If just 1 million households each replaced 4 traditional light bulbs with Compact Fluorescents (CFL), we'd eliminate 900,000 tons of greenhouse gases. Target and Home Depot carry energy efficient light bulbs. 1.5 million tons of plastic are used to make bottles every year, a waste that could instead power electricity in 250,000 homes. It also takes 1000 years for these plastic water bottles to decompose. Reusable water bottles are available for purchase at the local Target, CVS, and Albertsons. Trader Joe's provides reusable grocery bags and even encourages their usage by entering users in a gift card raffle. Irvine apartment communities have designated recycle bins next to trash dumpsters. It's a small change to make, but it's extremely significant. To date a total of 160,450 bulbs have been switched. This is the equivalent of taking 11,232 cars off the road. It makes a difference. While our current actions continue to destroy habitats and endanger animals, we also face the major risk of endangering ourselves. The ice caps melting and the polar bear drowning on the Discovery Channel's Planet Earth series is sad to watch, but at the end of the day it is often put aside, not seeming close enough to have a personal affect of our lives. It does. As environmental experts have said, the risk we face is not about destroying the planet. It is about making it inhospitable to human beings. We have to save our selves. This was not only the Police's message sung out by over 60, 000 audience members, but one of the main themes of Live Earth. Change needs to happen; we have to take action, to save our world, our selves. No one else is going to do it for us. Commit to change, tell your friends, and pledge to go green. To officially make the pledge and learn more ways to fight the climate crisis visit www.liveearthpledge.org; www.asimpleswitch.com; www.climatecrisis.net.

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