Economy can be made more sustainable
The topic came up around the dinner table about climate change, activism and consumerism. I was intrigued by the question, how does one advocate for solutions to climate change and be green at the same time? By doing a little digging, I found some interesting tidbits of information.
Complete elimination of petroleum for producing our goods or even the reduction of our emissions to zero is not the goal. We just need to reduce our emissions enough to allow Earth’s natural ability to absorb them.
Right now, we are in overdraft when it comes to Earth’s ability to store excess CO2 in our atmosphere.
Making changes in how we produce electricity for heating and cooling buildings and powering vehicles will move us in the right direction of lowering our emissions.
With policy changes, manufacturers could have renewable energy to be used in energy-efficient warehouses, which will then reduce the combustion of coal, oil and gas for the purpose of making our stuff.
Trying to live a perfect green lifestyle in an economy that is dependent on fossil fuels and consumption is a losing battle. Changes are needed to run our economy in a sustainable way and speaking out to voice support is essential to seeking the change we need.
Nancy Mauter, Los Osos
This story was originally published January 23, 2016 at 4:42 PM with the headline "Economy can be made more sustainable."