A US Monk's Footprint is Twice World Average

According to a report published today on Science Daily,

"...in the United States, even people with the lowest energy usage account for, on average, more than double the global per-capita carbon emission."

This is distressing to say the least. But when you find out the reasons why even homeless people and monks are subject to an emissions floor below which "their" emissions cannot go, it makes you realize just how important of a point Al Gore was making in his revamped presentation on global warming which I posted here earlier this month.

Here is an important moment in the article...

"While it may seem surprising that even people whose lifestyles don't appear extravagant--the homeless, monks, children--are responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions, one major factor is the array of government services that are available to everyone in the United States. These basic services--including police, roads, libraries, the court system and the military--were allocated equally to everyone in the country in this study."

This should remind us that changing the light bulbs is not enough. That we have to become engaged in the decisions that get made for us. For example, the more we can become a city of public transportation (light rail, etc.) the less our cities will need to build roads and the fewer cars will be on the road producing noxious gasses. So supporting bills that lead to more public transportation will reduce everyone's average footprint! Our individual deeds are valuable, but our corporate deeds will play an essential role in determining whether or not we can make any significant inroads into addressing this challenge.