Your world. Your verdict: the small but beautiful ways that can help the fight to save the planet
Last week, following the launch of an all-party inquiry into climate change, we invited Independent readers to send in suggestions for saving the planet. The response was huge. Today we publish a summary of the most popular ideas which, if put into practice, would be potent weapons in the fight against global warmingChange a light bulb - and help save the planet. When it comes to the big question of how the world responds to the threat of climate change, it is clear that it is the small, everyday things that can really matter. This is a major theme to have emerged in the phenomenal response to The Independent's appeal to readers for their views on how to tackle global warming, given the seeming inability of politicians, in Britain at least, to find ways of reducing carbon emissions. But among the hundreds of letters and e-mails there are also demands for bigger, more fundamental changes - encouraging people to work from home, reducing packaging on consumer goods, enforced recycling and banning four-wheel drives from cities.
Fundamentally, there is also an underlying message common to ideas both big and small: that people desperately want politicians to take action to make these things come about. It is based in the knowledge that this must be a collective issue and that for every one of us who voluntarily makes those big and small adjustments in our lifestyles, there are many millions more who need to be told, encouraged and, if necessary, forced to make the moves needed to preserve the future for their children - and those of everybody else.
Proposals for change Pros & Against:
Fit new buildings with solar panels or wind turbines
Label products according to their effect on climate:
Force passengers to pay environmental cost of flying
Public transport should be made cheaper:
Make energy- efficient light bulbs compulsory:
Encourage people to work from home:
Use the law to encourage recycling:
Ban 4x4 cars from cities
Reduce packaging on products
Ban patio heaters
more here
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article355342.ece