Climate change. Talk about this in common conversation around the wrong folks and one might have a small-scale World War of words ahead of them.
It does not have to be such a divisive issue if citizens take the correct approach to how to deal with their personal impact every day. There is much controversy surrounding the use of clean energy (wind, algae, solar, etc.) versus the traditional use of coal, oil, and natural gas. I feel very strongly about the integration of clean energy to supplement the use of the three main fossil fuels, but that is not what I am here to argue. Smart consumer choices and daily efforts to curb fossil fuel usage can help humanity to conserve the one planet we have better than some multi-nation pacts with wide scale regulations.
The first smart consumer choice that must be made is the vehicle problem. It may seem brash, but consumers should not buy that big truck with way too much power if they are not going to use it. All too often those V8 trucks that consume gas at a rate of perhaps 15 or 20 MPG are not being used for their intended purpose. By no means am I advocating for the outlawing of such vehicles. I have one myself, but I use it to haul loads and pull trailers as it was meant to be used. Automobiles' original purpose was, of course, to take people where they need to go in a faster manner and also carry a load if need be. Today, cars seem to be more of a statement of where one lies in the hierarchy of society, which is an unhealthy practice on many levels. My proposed plan is that consumers should buy the car that reflects the type of driving they will be doing. There are still plenty of options for that luxury statement car if that is what someone is going for, but they can accomplish that responsibly with a performance sedan that uses perhaps 35 plus MPG. This many not be popular in rural communities where consumers grew up driving that beat up truck with dreams of having a new one, but such is the reality that we, as a nation and for humanity, must curb our fossil fuel use.
Another great option to positively affect one's daily usage of fossil fuels is recycling. Much of the plastic waste we use ends up in landfills where it often takes thousands of years to decompose. Does not seem like an issue, right? Wrong. The person who drank that Mountain Eew in 2017 may not see the harmful effects of an overflowing landfill in the year 2200, but their grandkid's grandkids definitely will. An easy solution to this is having two trashcans. One for recycling and one for landfill material. There are many startup companies looking to make clothes, handbags, and many other household plastic items out of recycled plastic, so there is no excuse to not recycle when there are city sponsored centers all around that take most material for free.
Another solution for those who do not wish to try out the recycling model is to use permanent water bottles. With the additional purchase of a water filter, these can curb the excessive use of plastic water bottles that should be recycled. No matter one's view of wide scale, government-mandated regulations related to climate change, daily decisions can surely help to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
