I love that Huffington Post is actively encouraging readers to reduce our individual impact on the environment. By taking small steps in our daily lives—like how we get to work or where we buy our food—we can help preserve the natural systems we humans rely on to sustain us.
I have made some of these changes in my own life. I take the subway to work. I buy produce from the famous Union Square Greenmarket around the corner from NRDC’s office, and I planted a vegetable garden in my backyard—with a lot of help from my daughters, I must admit.
But the truth is that each one of these actions is dwarfed by the most important thing you and I can do: push our lawmakers to protect the environment.
No impact men and women are good. But a low impact nation is even better.
When you are facing such sweeping challenges as global warming, loss of biodiversity, and ocean acidification, our individual actions must be joined together with shared commitments.
Take climate change. Each one of us must do our part to reduce our carbon footprint. We can buy compact florescent light bulbs, use public transit, and improve energy efficiency in our homes.
But coal companies, automakers, and oil refineries need to do their part as well. Some businesses are taking it upon themselves to limit their carbon emissions. But it is impossible to believe that all polluters will sign up for these voluntary measures.
At the same time, clean tech innovators are developing the next generation of green energy solutions. They are eager to put America ahead of China, Germany, and Spain in this booming market. Yet current policies and tax incentives favor dirty fossil fuels--fuels that have already grown fat off of decades’ worth of government subsidies.
Our consumer purchasing habits can have an impact on the status quo, but our voting habits can have an even bigger one.
Use Huffington’s No Impact Guide or click here to tell your senators to pass the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power act.
This is the fastest way for us to unleash clean energy innovation, curb global warming, and create millions of green collar jobs.
And it is one of the best ways you can make an impact—a good one—on the planet.
To Sign Up For HuffPost's No Impact Week which starts October 18th, Click Here!