Another Look At The 13 Tipping Points

The Bangor Daily News has run an Op-Ed by Julia Whitty, the author of the "The Thirteenth Tipping Point" (see my 11/21 blog). "The tipping point on global warming" gives an excellent overview of her longer article that is in Mother Jones Magazine.

A few points to highlight:

• Increasing the visibility of the small changes that people are making may help to change the behaviors of more people. - "[W]e would be inclined to behave as better environmental citizens when we are educated and our individual actions are visible to those around us — a phenomenon known as 'social facilitation.'"
• Once we make up our minds that climate change is a real problem that needs real solutions, we have the ability to change behavior quickly. - "[H]umans can change and change fast. Our hallmark is adaptability."
• The time for action is now. - "We know what to do. We know how to do it. We know the timeline. We are our own tipping point. "

We need to continue to focus on the actions that we can all take - both small and large. Tell your friends and family about the steps that you are taking to reduce your energy-related emissions. If they know that you are taking this risk seriously, they might be more likely to change their own habits!