Simple and Inexpensive Actions Could Reduce Global Warming Emissions by One Billion Tons

The United States is the world's second-largest emitter of global warming pollution, currently pumping approximately 7 billion tons of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere every year. U.S. residents have a "carbon footprint" that is more than 20 times larger than people living in many developing countries. If Americans adopted a series of simple inexpensive emissions-reducing measures in the areas of transportation, household energy consumption, diet, and waste over the next ten years, the U.S. could avoid 1 billion tons of emissions in 2020 and save money. Behavioral change and personal action -- in addition to responsible policymaking and technological innovation -- are critical to any successful effort to curb greenhouse gas pollution and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.