The crux of the global warming problem, and the ensuing climate change that we have unleashed, is the set of decisions that we make individually and as a society. 

While we are trying to provide many concrete actions that you can take to help slow and perhaps reverse global warming over the long term (for the short term at least, it appears that global warming is here to stay…) there are many, far more potent things that you can do which are far more abstract.

The decisions you make daily are largely invisible to you.  They are often decisions made long ago, for reasons you may not fully understand any more.  They may be decisions made for you by others; parents, teachers, siblings, institutions of society, etc.  They may be decisions made by others to limit your choices.

Stop for a while and consider the universe of decisions that you make daily.  For instance, your decision to read more of this website, or go on to other activities in your day… your decision to tell or email a friend about it or not… your decision to take an action described here… your decision to ignore the warnings about global warming or (hopefully) to take them more seriously in the future…

Have the intention to pay more attention to your decisions.  ‘Intention’ should not be a passive, accidental thing as it has become all to often.  Intention is a very powerful, central motivating force in the vast complex of human will and action.

After identifying your decisions, examine them.  This may be far more effort than you imagined, since we live in a society which it constantly distracting us from introspection in favor of buying or consuming something.  The wheels of our economy and the advertising industry (both its servant and its master) are relentless.

In the process of examining your decisions, look for ways that you can alter those decision which are wasteful in some manner.  Modify them in a way that will reduce your footprint on the planet, reduce your energy use, reduce your waste of products and physical things.

My mother always used to tell us, “It’s a sin to waste food.”  Well, the time has come to broaden that for our children.  It is a sin to waste.  Make a decision to not waste.  Make a decision to help solve our collective problem.  Let that decision guide your actions.