solutions

What can I do?

The list below focuses on strategies for collective actions for climate protection to emphasize their importance, and because those that focus on personal actions, such as using compact fluorescent bulbs, are already relatively well known. Whether you have a little or a lot of time, everyone can do something.

Learn and reflect, talk and listen

  • Talk to others about climate protection—talk is not cheap!

  • Join or form study groups; help educate others

Business

  • Develop a company Environmental Management System

  • Form a water and energy efficiency task force
  • Make a pledge to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, meet a target, set a new target; encourage other companies to do the same
  • Adopt policies to require suppliers and vendors to adhere to energy efficiency practices
  • Ask your bank to favor projects that emit fewer GHGs
  • Make presentations to groups like the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club about how businesses can save money, lower energy bills, and protect the climate
  • Join the California Climate Registry
  • Lobby your industry to change its practices; encourage GHG accounting

Schools

  • Help schools reduce their energy use, and measure and reduce their GHG emissions

  • Encourage your district to have all its schools participate in energy-saving programs
  • Help school building and remodeling demonstrate the highest standards for energy and water efficiency
  • Green your fleet (applies to business and government, too.)
  • Create programs that offer staff and students incentives for walking, bicycling, riding the bus, etc.; enact parking fees (This applies to all sectors on this page.)
         Government

  • Thank jurisdictions for joining Cities for Climate Protection, and encourage others to do so

  • Help elect people who will protect the climate
  • Encourage walkable, mixed use development with nearby public transportation, stores, schools, etc.—to minimize sprawl and the need to drive
  • Adopt green building guidelines and codes, and reward development teams who follow them
  • Reward efficiency and conservation among utility users
  • Develop local control over your energy system and make the shift to energy efficiency and renewable power
  • Encourage public entities to mandate a Kyoto Protocol
  • Lobby your elected representatives to eliminate subsidies for fossil fuels and instead give those subsidies to renewables
  • Change the tax system to reward actions that protect the climate, and penalize those that don’t

Speak up

  • Write letters to the editor of newspapers and to elected representatives (find your elected officials; contact the press)

  • Make presentations
  • Ask people for money and give it to groups making a difference
  • Encourage others, especially young people, to speak up