Many of you are concerned about global warming and how it affects you and your family.  A new book, “Drawdown:  The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming” by Paul Hawken looks at what can be done to stop it and even reverse it.

As many of you know, there are 406ppm of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  That number should be 350ppm.  Some of the most effective solutions to cutting carbon include educating girls in the developing world, so that they have fewer children, and reducing food waste.  Reducing food waste would save 70 gigatons of carbon emissions.  Another solution is for people to eat less meat and choose plant-based diets instead.  If everyone ate a vegan diet the world would cut emissions by 70%.

Other solutions involve scaling up solar farms, growing trees on pastures where cows graze, and managing refrigerant (the chemicals used in refrigerant have a much higher global warming effect than carbon dioxide).

Of critical importance is also your role with regard to politics.  Anna Goldstein served as a research fellow for the book and said, “The role of individual citizens in policymaking is to show our policymakers that you care, and not just that you care a little bit, or that you’re worried a little bit, but that it’s a strong motivator.”

I encourage you to read the book and find out about the other 93 solutions.