The human race is facing some tough decisions and we may have to take action fast if we want to protect our future. What do you think of when you think of your basic needs? If you are like most people, you probably think of food, clothing, and shelter. However, we cannot allow our desire for progress to blind us to the fact that global warming is happening, and we need to take action to stop it before we destroy ourselves. We need to take action now!

Global Warming Is Not New

Detractors love to remind us that global warming is not new ? it has been happening for thousands of years ? it happened before, when humans were not even around, and it will happen again. That does not change the fact that we are responsible for accelerating it this time, and we can undo the damage if we work hard enough. Recently, Time magazine deemed the rapid overall temperature increase to be an emergency condition. Action needs to be taken. Now!

There is much that we as individuals can do to stop global warming. For one thing, we can stop global warming by conserving energy . How can you conserve energy? Just join the office car pool, walk or cycle instead of using your car for short journeys. Use public transport. Fit low energy light bulbs in every room. Turn off appliances when they are not in use, and turn the thermostat down one degree ? you probably won't even notice it, but over time, that one degree difference will amount to a lot of energy saved. Just imagine this. What if every single person made changes like those? The result would be that the savings would be huge.

Another simple way to do your bit is to recycle ? instead of letting rubbish end up in landfill sites, or, worse, be incinerated, if you recycle it you reduce waste, and save on the energy that would have been needed to produce whatever the product was from raw materials.

Also, using eco-friendly fuels and vehicles will help prevent global warming ? at the moment some eco-friendly options are more expensive than standard fuel, but in the long run you will be saving immensely.

Think about it. If we actually used more solar, wind and hydro power the result would be that we would greatly reduce our emissions. Some people dislike the idea of wind turbines, as they look unsightly ? but surely it is worth that cost, compared to what could happen if we continue on the path we are on?

There is no time like the present and the best time for action is now! We can still reduce the damage, and maybe even repair some of it. There may still be hope. For the benefit of future generations we all need to individually and collectively today.