Global Warming

The goal of environmentalstewardship 329

last August, Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of the United Nations
presented ‘Competing Futures’ in the following terms^10 :

Imagine a future of relentless storms and floods; islands and heavily

inhabited coastal regions inundated by rising sea levels; fertile soils

rendered barren by drought and the desert’s advance; mass migrations of

environmental refugees; and armed conflicts over water and precious

natural resources.

Then, think again – for one might just as easily conjure a more

hopeful picture: of green technologies; liveable cities; energy-efficient

homes, transport and industry; and rising standards of living for all the

people not just a fortunate minority. The choice between these competing

visions is ours to make.

What the individual can do

I have spelled out the responsibilities of experts of all kinds – scientists,

economists, technologists, politicians, industrialists, communicators and

educators. There are important contributions also to be made by ordinary

individuals to help to mitigate the problem of global warming.^12 Some

of these are to:


ensure maximum energy efficiency in the home – through good

insulation (see box on page 280) against cold in winter and heat

in summer and by making sure that rooms are not overheated and

that light is not wasted;


as consumers, take energy use into account, e.g. by buying goods

that last longer and from more local sources and buying appliances

with high energy efficiency;


support, where possible, the provision of energy from non-fossil-

fuel sources; for instance, purchase ‘green’ electricity (i.e. elec-

tricity from renewable sources)wherever this option is available^13 ;


drive a fuel-efficient car and choose means of transport that tend to

minimise overall energy use; for instance, where possible, walking

or cycling;


check, when buying wood products, that they originate from a

renewable source;


contribute to projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions – this

can be a way of compensating for some of the emissions to which

we contribute, e.g. from aircraft journeys^14 ;


through the democratic process, encourage local and national gov-

ernments to deliver policies which properly take the environment

into account.