Climate Counts - Vote with your dollars

Individual actions, of course, count. As more and more people make small changes themselves, the sum total is large. However, big business is responsible for the bulk of greenhouse gas emission, but business can also be our most powerful ally in tackling the climate crisis. Everyday consumers can be the most important activists. To help you leverage your purchasing power, Climate Counts scores the world’s largest companies on their climate impact. With the wallet-sized guides, you can vote with your dollars by making climate-conscious purchasing and investing choices that put pressure on the world’s most well-known companies to take the issue of climate change seriously.

So far, Climate Counts has scored 93 companies in twelve industry sectors with plans to roll out more company scores this spring and summer. Log onto ClimateCounts.org to see how your favorite company ranks, send emails to companies directly, and stay tuned to the latest company news.

Earth Hour Image

We hear a lot about global warming (or climate change, the more accurate, newer term), but many people are not sure how to make a difference or make their wishes for action known. One way is by joining in Earth Hour, March 28, 2009 at 8:30pm.

Earth Hour is an international effort to unplug, literally, for one hour on a Saturday night, “to send a strong message to our political leaders that we want them to take meaningful action on climate change.” Participants are asked to turn off non-essential lighting for one hour. Lights needed for safety are not turned off. The Sciencenter of Ithaca, NY, has produced a guide to help you see how much electricity you would normally use.

Schools and organizations such as the Maryland Science Center that will be closed during the event can explore ways to unplug in the weeks leading up to Earth Hour and finding ways to reduce their energy usage overall.  See http://www.astc.org/iglo/ for more details.

An even greater way to get involved is to use the resources at www.earthhour.org and www.earthhourus.org to encourage those around you, including friends, neighbors, businesses, and even cities, to participate as well.

In 2008, over 50 million people, including an estimated36 million in the U.S., representing over 400 cities on all seven continents turned out their lights in the largest climate event of all time. Lights went out at some of the world’s most iconic landmarks including the Sydney Opera House, Bangkok’s Wat Arun Buddhist temple, the Coliseum in Rome, Stockholm’s Royal Castle, London’s City Hall, New York’s Empire State Building, Sears Tower in Chicago and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Other symbols going dark included Cola-Cola’s famous billboard in Times Square and the Google homepage.

Of course, in addition to participating symbolically, any steps you take to reduce your energy use (or switch your power to green, renewable sources), will reduce your carbon footprint in more than a symbolic way. Don’t forget the power (heh) of writing or calling your local government representatives and asking for action at higher levels as well!

How are you getting involved?