Lately, the media has focused on the problems associated with global warming. Not only have Americans been urged to educate themselves, they have been urged to change. Americans need not panic over this crisis, as lifestyles can change and drastic improvements can be made. It is even possible to reduce one’s carbon emissions to zero, quite a feat considering the annual household carbon emission is 170,000 pounds. While global warming is a serious problem, it is one that is reducible.

Global warming is a phenomenon that scientists believe is being driven by increased human carbon emissions from transportation, electricity production, the burning of the rain forests and other sources. The halting or cleansing of these industries worldwide would result in much lower carbon emissions and a possible end to global warming. Citizens must begin taking initiatives to buy recycled products, turn lights off, recycle and conserve.

This issue, as former Vice President Al Gore has stated, is not a political issue; it is a moral issue. Both political parties have an obligation not only to future generations, but also to the environment to combat global warming. It is astounding that many humans around the globe, who consider themselves religious or moral, or both, choose to ignore the single issue that threatens humanity as a species. This issue is so serious that the Atomic Scientists, who keep the Doomsday Clock, have, for the first time ever, incorporated global warming into their considerations of how close humanity stands to the brink of destruction.

Democratic legislators already have begun looking at options. Some Republicans, such as California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has taken steps that would cut auto emissions, are also concerned. This progress is promising, and represents America’s first steps toward solving the climate crisis. The Kyoto Protocol, which has been signed by many world governments, excluding the United States, is also progress. However, at this point, humanity needs to be running, not crawling. America must make the first strides, as the world’s superpower and largest carbon polluter, in order to stop this global crisis.