What It Is: Invisible, mostly harmless gasses up in the atmosphere that hold the sun's heat.

The planet-wide super-warming we are experiencing is the result of the following over-abundance of chemicals in the atmosphere:

• carbon-dioxide,
• nitrous dioxide,
• methane,

and other emissions that have reached an atmospheric concentration to endanger all earthly life. The problem originates from the burning and decomposing of carbon-based materials, notably coal and oil. It is the emissions from our cars, trucks, planes, container ships, gas production, manufacturing, and,...and,...and....

What It Is Not: All Our Other Problems.

It's important to get this right:

Climate change will not be reversed by recycling.

-- although recycling is a good practice. Keep trying to make everything recyclable.

It is not created by trash.

-- Except insofar as food and other organics are thrown into the landfill that then becomes methane and is released via piping into the atmosphere. Compost food waste! And insist that landfills capture methane.

Climate change is not the result of plastic pollution.

-- Granted, plastic is a fossil-fuel product, and its creation leads to emissions. Also, plastic in the ocean can reduce its ability to absorb CO2. Plastic use, trash and waste is an altogether different issue than greenhouse gas emissions.

Social, environmental and other issues of justice ad equity are very important, but the certain-death lemmings-off-a-cliff situation lies in emissions. So to be effective here, we all need to understand and remember: If we don't reduce and sequester emissions, we're all toast. Emissions from the past are still up there, a thick lid on our simmering pot, and we keep adding tons of new emissions. That's the problem. Don't get distracted.

It's really really Bad.

Sometimes it will seem like the mildness of a winter's day is nice -- but don't be fooled. Nature is horrified, and the result can be likened to Noah and the flood. Last year was the hottest year on record. Heat, drought affect food supplies worldwide. Severe storms, heatwaves, wildfires and flooding cause deaths, forced migration, not to mention unprecedented expenditures on first responders, cleanup, and rebuilding. Add to this the mental and emotional trauma.

And more warming is on the way, as carbon dioxide emissions rose again in 2023, and are again at record levels. This April 2024, as reported inUS News & World Report, United Nations Climate Chief Simon Stiell gives the dominant world powers two years to make the changes needed to literally save the world. Who is thisWewho needs to act faster? "The answer is every person on this planet," Stiell said.

It's Not Only Us Humans

More Disruption, cost, and inflation

It's Us -- We're the Problem.

It's a few big things we do and a ton of little things. We have grown our dependance on fossil fuels over many decades, and GHG-producing combustion is part of almost everything we make, consume, or do.

1. We use fossil fuels to go just about everywhere.
• To school,
• To work,
• To shopping centers,
• To recreation areas,
• Even to climate protests.
2. We fill our houses with products mostly shipped from overseas on diesel-fueled container ships. Furniture, dishes, clothing, appliances.
3. Much of the food we buy is also often shipped from overseas, both fresh and packaged foods.
4. Using fossil fuels, we keepallour spaces a comfortable temperature, wherever we happen to be:
• homes (the whole place)
• offices, (including nights & weekends)
• cars, trucks, SUVs, RVs,
• and we often keep the AC on whether we are present or not.
5. We are disengaged with municipal, state and national decision making, and as a result politicians and industry continue to rely on and even expand fossil-fuel infrastructure.

We have a problem.

It's time for everyone to start looking at our lifestyles closely, change habits and practices, and ask companies and government to partner with us in this effort.

We are the Solution.

This is an opportunity for the next greatest generation. We didn't create this problem, and maybe we each of us don't do that much to contribute, but make no mistake: it's our problem. The good news is we are well-positioned and well-resourced to help solve it. Look at what we've accomplished in the past, when we've put our mind to it. We've won world wars. Flown to the moon. Invented the internet. Fed the world. We can do this. Denial, despair, distraction, pessimism, avoidance, procrastination and self-pity are enemies here. What's needed is collective effort and problem solving. I believe in us.

Here's How to Begin.

Great that you've decided to join the team working to solve the problem. That you have decided to stop pointing the finger like a five-year-old, saying, "But they're worse (China, India)!" "What about Besos?" and "What did I do?" You've decided to be like Harry Truman: "The buck stops here." Below are easy areas to begin. And try to add one thing each week! Spin the wheel, below, and see what's possible:

• Fly less. Much less. If you must fly, offset those miles with generous contributions to organizations like The Nature Conservancy. (Carbon credits are a racket, but donating to good stewards is meaningful.) If you don't fly, still take a bus, metro, bike once in awhile.
• Buy food that's locally and sustainably grown, and ideally organic. Drag yourself to that farmers market. And eat that food! Ask your parents about your great grandmother who lived through the depression and didn't waste a single thing. Be like her.
• If you do have food waste, do not throw it in the garbage! Start a compost or worm bin. Use your city's green waste program. If you're in an apartment with no green bin, freeze your scraps and then give them to a friend with a green bin. Then borrow their drill, and loan them your sewing machine. See how this works?
• When you can, buy used. That is, clothes, textiles, laundry baskets, lamps. I'm talking thrift stores and consignment stores, garage sales, Facebook marketplace. You'll be amazed what you can find.
• Whenever you can, upgrade to new technology. That is, an EV, a heat pump HVAC or hot water heater. An electric bike. An induction stove.
• Finally, expect products, stores, companies and the government to do better. We need more sustainable products, more repairable toasters, more recyclable or compostable products and packaging. You can ask nicely. Just ask. Also, lobby. What is government doing to advance clean energy development? To incentivize sustainable industry and change retrograde practices?
• Last but not least: trees and forests and other natural solutions (like regenerative farming) are a BIG part of the solution. So plant a tree! And support forest steward organizations.

Earth to Humans: You gotta THINK...

If you are working hard for the planet, at some point you're going to wonder why the big players can't also step up to the plate. The conglomerates and the feds--these big players can make bigger, systemic changes--and even make us like it, through the magic of marketing. Some companies already have. More need a nudge to get on board, and they need to see we mean business. In a couple of years, if we can all of us put effort and innovation to this, we'll smile at each other and say, "Dang, we can do hard things!" The air will be cleaner, our lives will be healthier and better in meaningful ways. And we'll have a livable planet. Isn't that worth the effort?