I would think that some steps we, as individuals, can make would be to look at our own houses and see what kind of waste there is. I see a lot of times with all of the McMansions going up that there are only 2 people moving in to that house. That is a lot of space to have to heat and keep electric running for only 2 people. Maybe if people lived in a house that more fit the size of their family then there would be less electricity to generate and as a result, all of the carbons and other harmful pollutants that are a byproduct of that generation. Solar power is another viable alternative for individual homeowners. A lot of states have rather large rebates for the installation of solar panels which makes them a more affordable and viable option than they otherwise would be without those rebates. Another area where individuals can look at is the car they drive. The more fuel efficient it is, the less gas is needed to fuel it, meaning less gas production and less pollutants being released into the air at the refineries. (I live in NJ and see the newark/elizabeth area frequently, and there is a constant plume of white smoke coming from the refineries there, not much of which can be good for the environment) A less realistic option, depending on where one lives and works, would be to look at their commute and see if there is any way to take mass transit. For some people that is an option, for others it's not. If it's there and feasable, that would cut back on vehicle emissions. Lastly, many of the new building products on the market today have more "green" alternatives than existed in years past. By green, that means that they are more environmentally friendly than their "non-green" counterparts. There is decking made of recycled materials to name one off hand. Many others are out there for which my mind is drawing a blank. Hope this helps. I'm as concerned as you are as I'm sitting here in 60 degree weather in January and I'm nowhere near florida or southern cal. Typical temp here in NJ is 20-30 degrees at this time of year.

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cobal warning is a sign ,its a sign something isnt working,
nature worked well for millions of years ,it dosnt work now because of money
anything has a cash price ,a tree is worth pennies as a dead log,
it does endless service in keep ing the leaves alive ,the leaves that convert our co2 back into o2 ,yet this has no obvious value ,,thus are left to decay in the forrests ,till we are gasping our last lungfull of o2.
we dont need to clear any more land we need assured o2

one litre of gas consumes 10,000 litres of o2 from its air
the micro particles are causing cancers ,
oil comes from various scorces ,including all sorts of plant matter [poisenous plants and food alike]
all oils arnt equal ,but we can make oil from the hemp bush ,just as the bush that burned for 30 dollars a barrel
as a side affect its oil we can cook in with and eat ,it does all oil from dead plants can do but its fully renewable ,AND IT RECAPTURES ITS OWN CARBEN ,as well as clean up poisened and contaminated polutions
plus the plants stem and leaves make banknote quality paper ,its by product meets all our paper needs
it has been made into rock for building and henry ford built a car from the stuff ,it was criminalised by the oil industry who invented nylon
as we now are nearly out of the stuff we could seise their assets and convert in two years to full sustainable energy supply
using one quater of the land logged last year alone
hemp has 30,000 uses one is smoking ,but its the 29,9999 other uses that make it the tree of life from the bi9ble [see rev 22]

wind power is a practicle way to get energy boosted into the grid,
there is allways wind some where ;the secret is to make them smaller [like those roof ventelators] ,keeping them small allows our roofs to carry many scattered all over our lands
the big ones are too large ,we need industry to build trillions world wide ,that convert either hydrogen or electricity

solar is for now more energy consuming than wind ,the recent creation of the $100 dollar lap top has shown what industry can do ,i fel we can make roof chargers for 50 dollars or 100 installed,
but ita small scale ,africa and undeveloped nations are going to need power ten of these could power a village or a school or a hospital ,they also can use the hemp plant that can make fuel locally and make local work ,hemps power to clean water can see the sewrage cleanup produce energy
it speaks in rev22 of the fruits each month ,we know what 30-,ooo
of them are anything from flour [food] to icecream ,plastic to oil ,
but we need things on a small decentralised ,inter connected ,self sustaining parts.
i know your not going to be abkle to read any of these but perhaps you will put your fan base to work getting all the answers and colating the replies into one large but complete document [using summerised point]
any way its good that celebs get involved with the issues
the media just ignores my poorly writen rave ,but we beenm saying this for a long time
decentralise ,keep it small ,act locally ,think globally,
live simply so others can simply live
nimbin museaum curator/guest curator aborigonal tent embassy canberra act,lake cowel/timbarra activist
air and water and dust is more precious than gold.
user pays
the top 5 % of consumers pay 5 percent more,
industry pays restoration tax ,its going to take money ,but not as much as we thought ,we pat anything for petrol[gas] but nothing for the o2 we used to use it
get rid of standby on appliances
reuse not recycle
recycle means make a bottle break a bottle make a bottle its a cycle
make then use ,then reuse ,use again like coke bottles and milk bottles used to be ,even plastic can be used again ,but this planet must become more than a single use and discard plannet.

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Every suggestion offered by reliable scientist should be adopted. It is remarkable, I have read most of the answers,and it seems that only just one person doesn't believe in climate change.

It is as if, this person, has been living in a cave for the past 20 years watching the wonderful segments on the History channel about: earthquakes, Twisters, and tidal-waves! Look, you can either realize that the earth is round, not flat, and update your world view, or you can be seen as the nations only local flake-Bush and Co. Being the top flakes- So, I know this seems like a personal assault, and it is, we need to adopt strong environmental standards.

We need, to encourage the alternative fuels and not just beat our chests and talk about "addiction to oil" We can do this! We need, to largely, look at the melting ice caps and wonder, this just can't be a mini-ice age, it is a major shift! What we need to do, is really, just allow those who disagree to do so-this is a free country-but just know that they are like the town loon.

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Global warming is good. I like warm weather. A few years ago the moonbats were predicting a new ice age. gimme a break!!

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Leo:
First and foremost, you are right to be concerned about global warming.
Here are the some things EVERYONE can do:
1-Ride the bus to work
2-Vote for people who will make us ENERGY independent from fossil fuels used from hostile countries and will pour money into research into alternative energy. Geothermal for homes, bio-fuels for autos, solar, wind, current.
3-Don't "over" consume. The USA is FAT because we overeat and don't exercise. Getting thin by eating less will decrease production of all items used to produce, process, and distribute excess food.
4-If you own an SUV and NEED to have one for practical purposes, then buy own that can use low emission ethanol fuels, or is a hybrid. Every little bit helps.
5-Buy products made in countries that support the Kyoto accords or at least have some type of environmental agencies policing their waste products.
6-Insulate your home. Less fuel to heat and cool means less greenhouse gases.
7-Car pool....who knows, maybe you'll meet some new friends.
8-Ride your bike to work....
9-WALK more.
10-Little things add up. Bulbs, caulking, insulating, programable thermostats, water restrictors, and other environmentally friendly items all help.
That's my two cents.

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the vital fact to know about global warming is that it doesn't exist anywhere except the minds of the firghtened. The earth has been heating and cooling itself ever since it s existance. in the 1970's people were saying that the world was heading for another Iceage. Next I would like to clearify that most of the world's scientest do NOT agree that global warming is a problem. people that think that they can name off some fact that sounds logical to the arguement they are trying to make believes the lies that they tell themselves. its madness!!! If someone would pay attention to the real world and those who learn from fact (not rumor) they would learn that before the iceage, the north and south pole of Earth was inhabited by prehistoric ferns. Now, answer this, How is it that a plant that requires tropical climates to survive, be growing in vast forests deep beneth the ice?!?!? But no what people are worried about is SUV's and CO2. in prehistoric times, there were more greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere than any of all human processes throughout history combine. If everyone in the world were to drive their cars at the some time and light mile long pools of gasoline and oil on fire, there is no way that we could compare to the amount contaminates then. But there was still life inhabbiting the planet and there was an Iceage afterwords. So open your mind before your mouth and listen to proven fact and not the BS you've fed by movies and the great inventor of the internet (Al Gore). The reasone this topic is being stressed it merely to keep the media looking at him after he lost everything.

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We can take 5 minutes to search about it, learn about it, and instantly change our bad habits. But equally important is to try and persuade others to at least CONSIDER doing the same, and realize the reality of this thing. Stand up, yell, and create a frenzy. Don't be lazy. That's what they do in advertising, and that's what we need to do, too. Ya know, people can still do things without Madison Ave.

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More important than anything we have to start talking about it because people in general do not understand it and are not concerned. Until "everyone" is nothing will change!

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whenever you see wasteful packaging on an item you just purchased, mail the wrapper to the CEO of the manufacturer with a note to stop the nonsense. What comes to mind? How about those COSTCO items grotesquely wrapped in totally oversized clear plastic frames which, after you've nearly dismembered yourself trying to open them, take up half your garbage pail and in most cases have cost more to produce and transport than the item they're holding.

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I am no scientist. I have no idea whether or not we as people are contributing to global warming or whether it is what some believe to be a natural cycle. But we need to be sure, because if we all debate it over the years, and continue living the way we are living, if all the people who support the natural cycle thought are wrong, then all those years of debate instead of action will have been lost and by that time, it may be too late for us to do anything for our kids and theirs. If we take action and change the standards of our personal living and the standards of industries polluting the air, and then find out there is no such thing as global warming, the only thing that is going to happen is that we will have cleaner air , lower personal electricity bills, and maybe less severe hurricanes (that may be a stretch but who knows unless we try). As far as all the comment ripping on Leo and all celebrities who want their two cents put in on political and world issues... In most cases I would agree that actors need to focus on their careers and stay out of politics. However in this case, I don't ever remember Leo coming forth like this on any other political issue. The fact that most top geologists are suggesting global warming is caused by us, suggesting steps that "may" get it under control, and seeing our government take no action, seeing the world be more interested in hating each other, terrorizing each other, fighting each other over religious, ethnic, and political differences, makes me furious at humans in general. I would love to call a press conference and ask "what the hell is wrong with all of you people". But no one is going to come or listen to any press conference I call. Leo, like it or not, is in a postition that he can ask what are we doing as a government and as people about this situation, and at least one person in government will listen. And that one person may have the ability to pursuade others in office to get the ball rolling. Having a two year old son in this world, and wanting him to have a good life on this planet, if it turns out that in the end Leo speaking up got the ball rolling toward our government taking action, then I applaude him.

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There is billions of tons of refuse of all kinds thrown away every day in the world that could be recycled into building products to build our homes etc . Fact ,over 80% of the worlds population lives in DIRT dwellings, ie from the earth not manufactured by industries.Another way would be to banTV that would save an awful lot of energy not only on the earth but also on our minds, maybe that that new mind energy can figure out ways to figure out how we are going to grow food to feed our ever growing population, not to mention WATER or any insignificant item like that or maybe we could figure out to drink crude oil , seems we place major priority on that stuff.

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here's something everyone can do: TURN OFF UR FREAKIN' COMPUTERS AND TV'S DO SOMETHING ELSE! something like playing basketball, hanging out with friends at the library/bookstore/mall, or spending time with family. at least that way, your saving on electricity, getting some exercise, and spending time with people instead of being online or watching tv all day long.

on another note, to everyone who's dissing the idea of celebrety's asking questions, at least they're getting the idea out for the rest of us to think about. have you guys as least thought about that?

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I know that this is not something that we can do at home but it would sure help. One big thing that the federal government should do is to have all of the traffic lights in all major cities fixed so that they work properly. All to often when driving down a city street the traffic lights will change for no apparent reason. The lights are on timers instead of traffic sensors. This wastes millions of gallons of fuel every day. It is not so bad for a car, but think of the big trucks that also have to stop at these traffic lights. There are literally millions of these trucks on the streets of America. Even if it only saved them 1 gallon of fuel a day per truck, it would prevent billions of cubic feet of pollution entering our atmosphere every day.

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There is nothing anybody can do at this point. 1. If we keep on trucking the way we are with our green house gasses, we will obviously cause unimaginible damage to the planet and billions will die. 2. If we make an effort to stop useing green house gasses to make even a neglegable difference in the climate. The economic fall out will be soo great that billions will die anyway! And our planet still doomed to the inevitable... The best option for us all is nuclear war. 1. less people will probibly die. 2. the nuclear winter will recool the earth to pre global warming levels with in a generation. Or start pooring every resource we hav in our space programms in a last ditch effort to populate other areas of our universe. I hate to sound pestmistic but every problem has a solution... its just a matter of excepting the solution.

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My response in this forum is more of a question directed at Mr. Kerry than it is to Leo's original problem. Know, Mr. Kerry, that I am complete agreement with everything that you, Leo, and Mr. Gore have presented thus far regarding global warming, the fact that it is such a huge problem in the world that our country must help rectify, and that it must quickly become the duty of every American citizen to do all he or she can to protect our environment from this grave danger.

Considering this, the question I must pose to you is in response to the closing comments you made about the responsibility of the common American person to "tell powerful interests...what we have to do." Assuming that part of these "powerful interests" include those elected to represent us in the federal government, I must ask you how we as a people can get those we elect to office to sincerely take the common man's plea for action seriously. To be frank with you, I adore the grassroots approach of writing letters to your Congressperson as much as the next activist does to urge that person to take action on behalf of those he or she is supposed to represent, but I, like countless other American citizens out there, have become so disillusioned with the lack of result this approach yields in recent years to the point where I have nearly become convinced that such an approach has just become meaningless and ineffective. While I cannot and do not intend to speak on the behalf of others, I still think it safe to generalize that when most other American citizens take that grassroots approach to address other prominent issues of similar political importance, these citizens end up with the same unsatisfactory result. Who, for instance, wrote to their Congressperson in the past year or so calling for the end of the war in Iraq, perhaps suggesting the importance of forming a delicate pull-out strategy and implementing it fast? The President and outgoing Congress finally seem to be catching onto the fact that a decent percentage of Americans are, nor have ever been, to keen on the idea of invading Iraq, but how many years did that take for that message to get through and be heard (although perhaps still not listened to)?

Compared to the problem of global warming, though, everyone must realize that the war in Iraq is small potatoes -- period, end of discussion. The dilemma here, though, is that If the common American citizen finds that he or she cannot make his or her voice be heard on a political issue on Iraq, how can that citizen possibly be confident that his or her voice will be heard regarding a truly devastating threat like global warming?

In other words, suppose you discover a leak in the plumbing right above where you sleep. Water drips over and over on your face as you try to sleep, and nothing you do to plug that leak seems to work, so you call a plumber to ask for their help. You wait and wait, but that plumber never shows up. The hole in the pipe causing the leak becomes larger and larger, and before you know it, the pipe breaks off completely and water starts gushing uncontrollably into your room. You call the plumber to fix this emergency. You wait and wait, but again, that plumber never shows up.

Obviously a hot issue like the war in Iraq is much more serious than something like an annoying minor leak in a pipe, but I hope you see the point I am trying to make here. Clearly one could elect the services of a different plumber as well as they could a new representative to help solve the problem at hand, but as is the case with computers, rebooting the system is not always the best way to come to a resolution. Something greater than writing letters or hosting small rallies must be done in order to convince those already in office for another good year or two to leap to action, and more details must be established for this "plan that actually does what the science tells us we have to do to." If you have any detailed ideas on what I and other concerned citizens can do to address this grave issue on a political front, I am certain that we would like to hear them (or share them, as the case may be for some people out there who already have some ideas of their own).

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well, i guess the best way to answer this is that it is effecting us in minnesota pretty badly. The usual -10 to -20 temperatures have turned to 35 to 40 degree temperatures, just in one year. Our land is riddled with a half ice/half snow mixture, and it creates a really poor snow based economy. Now, i am not one to exactly brag about the way i live, considering that my lifestyle is surrounded by cars. I am a mechanic, so my income relies on cars, and i own six.

What i am planing to do to help though is to replace my light bulbs in my house with energy saving ones, and plant a tree in my back yard for each vehicle my spouse and I drive. Plus, i will ride my bike and walk more often.

What i am doing right now is recycling glass, plastic, aluminum, used oils, etc. I understand and everyone else should to that no matter what you do to help, every little bit counts

Jason

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How about those of us without unlimited income continue to do the best we can within our resources. Meanwhile super-rich "actors" can stop idling in their 8-cylinder limos for hours at a time waiting in line at movie premiers and award shows. And double-talking politicians stop using private jets to take their wives shopping on 5th Avenue.

Then reduce yourselves to reasonable living allowances and spend the excess on helping the world by building programs that actually spread the truth about global warming. Like the fact that temperature of the world has gone through several cycles of increasing and decreasing. And the fact that Presidents don't cause Hurricanes (although blowhard losing Candidates might).

In other words, learn by viewing all of the scientific data, not just what news media, politicians, and left-wing extremists want you to know and believe.

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Stop Smoking

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First I need to say that anyone who says global warming isn't real is dead wrong. While there are natural cycles of heating and cooling, none of them have ever been as drastic as the warming we are experiencing right now. Also, to those who say that there are scientists who disagree with the idea of global warming, I must say that every study appearing in a scholarly journal has shown that global warming is very real. The ones disagreeing with global warming have only appeared in mainstream media articles written by journalists, not scientists.

Anyway, to answer the question, I can think of a few good ideas to help fight climate change. Besides the obvious things like buying fluorescent bulbs and driving less, the most important thing to do is encourage others to make changes as well. Also, learn about something called The Natural Step, which is a framework for businesses and communities to become more sustainable (check it out at www.naturalstep.org). Urge your city leaders to implement the natural step methods. Also, go see "An Inconvenient Truth," by Al Gore. If you are not already convinced that global warming exists, this movie will change your mind. Lastly, the most important thing you can do is learn more about global warming, because the more you know about it the easier it will be to make informed decisions.

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The evidence suggesting that man and his activities is having any effect at all on global warming is circumstantial at best. The Earth has been heating up and cooling for millions of years, and will continue to do so without our help. It's arrogant to think that our little species which will someday become extinct has much to do with the cycles of the Earth. It's possible that "greenhouse gases" are having an effect, but that is certainly not established. Further, you can talk about utopia all you want, but greenhouse gas emissions are not about to subside.

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i don't think that there are any simple steps to save the world. It is too late now, and we have to wait for the nature to take its course.
We had time to take the necessary precautions but nobody was listening.

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God bless you Leo. As your name would imply, you are like the noble lion in the C.S. Lewis trilogy, fighting to help re-establish a balance in the world. I understand that you are making a full length movie about the problems associated with global warming. I hope that it will make as big an impact on the collective conscience of humankind as did Al Gore's documentary. As for myself, I live very simply, perhaps too simply. I ride a bus to go to and from the area in which I work. I ride a bike or walk to go shorter distances and trains to go longer distances. When I want to take a day trip or go somewhere that is not accessible otherwise, I drive a fuel efficient automobile. I live in a home that sometimes feels a bit cramped space-wise, but when I think of the savings in energy, it doesn't bother me so much. I recycle all recyclables, including glass, cans, batteries, aerosol containers, plastic, and rather than dispose of plastic bags I use those to line waste paper containers. Personally, I think that doing these sorts of things is not such a big personal sacrifice (I have not always lived so simply), when we realize what is at stake. In this world, Earth comes first. All else follows. It is our moral duty to God and to others (our legacy) to protect our life sustaining planet.

library.thinkquest.org

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