Editor's Note: Dr. Jonathan Harrington is the author of The Climate Diet, £9.99, Earthscan 2008, available now. For more information visit www.earthscan.co.uk. We thank him for contributing this post to Celsias.

On June 27^th, 2008 former British Prime Minister and now reincarnated climate crusader, Tony Blair issued a major report on climate change just prior to the 2008 G-8 Summit held in Tokyo, Japan. According to an Office of Tony Blair press release, the document, Breaking the Climate Deadlock: A Global Deal for Our Low-Carbon Future, is designed to provide leaders of the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters "practical solutions" to confront the challenges of global warming. While the report includes few genuinely new remedies for tackling the climate crisis, Blair and company provide a readable and unusually candid (for a politician) picture of where we are now and how far we need to go in order to stabilize global temperatures. Here are some highlights:

• Despite implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, global greenhouse emissions continue to climb. Between 2000 and 2008, carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions rose from 45 billion tonnes to an estimated 55 billion tonnes.
• Most developed nation (Annex I) signatories will not meet their mandatory Kyoto emissions targets (5-10% below 1990 levels). At present, European emissions have "stabilized," but they continue to rise in the United States, Canada, Russia, and Japan.
• Under a "business as usual" scenario, emissions will rise to 59 billion tonnes by 2020 and 85 billion tonnes by 2050. During the next 40 years, Indian and Chinese emissions are predicted to triple.
• The scientific consensus is that global atmospheric CO₂e levels, which are presently around 380 parts per million (ppm), should peak at around 450 ppm by 2020 in order to avoid potentially catastrophic, uncontrollable planetary warming (up to 6 ^oC over pre-industrial levels by 2100!). To achieve CO₂e stabilization at 450 ppm, emissions must be reduced up to 40% by 2020, with additional cuts necessary in later decades to bring CO₂e levels down into a safer range.
• At present, the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters have yet to establish any post-Kyoto framework. Nor have they collectively set any specific targets for reducing emissions. Many blame the United States for holding up progress, but U.S. resistance to an agreement provides no excuse for Kyoto signatory countries to not live up to their already watered down commitments.

Is something terribly wrong with this picture?

Can "citizen consumers" take up the slack?

It is clear that we cannot wait around for elected officials or captains of industry to fix the climate crisis. We need to take matters into our own hands. Depending on where you live, up to half of all national greenhouse gas emissions are controlled by us, individual consumers and citizens. Virtually everything we do, from turning on a light bulb to buying a juicy steak at Tesco, contributes to the gases that are warming our world. Our fundamental problem is that we consume too much of everything; petrol, clothes, shoes, toys, electronic gadgets, home décor, and bricks and mortar. When it comes to using fossil fuels, most of us are like kids in an ice cream shop: It's there, we want it, and we want it now! We lunge left and right for the tastiest treats like there is no tomorrow. But at some point, something just has to give.

We all need to take personal responsibility for our own carbon footprints. The first step along the road to carbon independence is to educate ourselves about how our lifestyle choices impact the climate. There are plenty of free tools out there in cyberspace that can help us get started (check out http://www.climatediet.co.uk/tables.asp for an example). Our main goal should be to reduce the actual amount or ‘weight' of our personal CO₂ emissions. For instance, burning four liters of gasoline produces around 9 kg of CO₂ while producing one kWh of electricity in the UK delivers about .46 kg of CO₂ into the atmosphere. So, it is possible to actually calculate how lifestyle changes, like cutting down on driving or using less electricity, reduce our CO₂ ‘weight', just like we do when you reduce calorie intake from food. Consider going through your home room by room to identify areas where you can improve (like changing light bulbs, installing low flow faucets or turning down the thermostat). Also, think about ways you can buy less stuff, eat more climate friendly foods (meatless is better), or recycle more. Small changes can really add up. 

How much should we cut? The same amount as our elected officials, or around 40%. This may sound like a lot. But if we start looking, most of us will discover that we can make these cuts with little or no effort while saving money in the process. In fact, cutting the carbon ‘fat' out of our lives can bring unintended benefits. Instead of taking the kids to the mall, why not enjoy an evening at home or a leisurely walk along your favorite nature trail? Reconnect with your loved ones. Don't let marketers and advertisers run your life. Conservation, not ‘green shopping' is the key. Let's show our political elites that we care about climate change. If we can get our own acts together, government and industry will follow.