As the reality of global warming becomes more and more obvious, it is easy to sink into a morass of hopeless resignation or cynicism. This is why, in researching and writing the book, Dead Mars, Dying Earth, we felt it was critical to put forth a series of workable solutions.

The following ten-point plan has been endorsed by scientist and Nobel Laureate, Mario Molina, and Greenpeace founder, Don White, among others.

We invite you to consider that ultimately, while solving the problem of global warming is the greatest challenge we face, the solutions may lead us to greater justice, fresh innovation and a more enlightened and balanced existence for both our planet and humanity.

1) Triage the Planet

Triage Earth’s environmental problems like medical emergencies. Focus reforestation, and environmental and economic development wherever they most improve the planet’s environmental problems and most support long-term planetary and economic health.

2) Grow Better Economies

Reuse, recycle, renew, re-invest. Move closer to nature, conserve, practice a lifestyle less dependent on fossil fuels and electricity. Most resources can be used with four to ten times greater efficiency, which will create many more good jobs worldwide while preserving lifestyle and planetary vitality.

http://www.bfi.org/newbook.htm

3) Create Manhattan Project for Energy

Treat the coming oil crunch as the huge international economic security threat it truly is and commit to being energy independent in ten years.

http://www.hubbertpeak.com

4) Go Solar

Continue to aggressively advance solar and other forms of renewable energy and pay countries and resource holders, especially the oil countries, for the use of their solar resources, i.e.. wind, sun, tides.

http://www.solarnews.com

5) Perfect Hot Fusion

Develop hot fusion (like the sun) for electrical production. Successful fusion development will assure a gentler transition to a healed atmosphere and a healthy human society. It will also allow us to retrofit our existing coal and fission plants while reusing existing boilers, transformers and power lines. DH3 fusion is relatively clean, produces no greenhouse gas, no long-term radiation and, when fully implemented, could provide unlimited energy worldwide.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/helium3_000630.html http://gardenearth.com/archives/solar0003.html

6) Redefine Transportation

Develop practical fuel cell/hybrid cars, promote hydrogen, ethanol and other biofuels and fund mass production of the better battery technologies now available. Reinvigorate a worldwide electrical rail transit system, similar to the EU system.

http://dmoz.org/Science/Technology/Energy/Transportation/

7) Pay for Enhancing Carbon Sinks
and Making Oxygen

Pay rainforest nations for their oxygen production. Swap international debt for oxygen production and for photosynthesis-based carbon removal.

http://www.chicagoclimatex.com

8) Find the Commercial Benefit in
Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions promotes industrial and energy efficiency, and often contributes to cost savings and productivity increases worth many times the original investment.

http://www.cool-companies.com/

9) Protect Earth from Space

Fund a vigorous manned and unmanned space program and expand the space-based technologies to monitor Earth’s environment and protect Earth from asteroids.

http://sherpa.sandia.gov/planet-impact/asteroid
http://terra.nasa.gov

10) Green Up the Peace Corps

Create a Peace Corps comprised of members from every country and expand its mission to include a worldwide project to reverse the effects of global warming by funding and developing reforestation, clean jobs and remediation of environmental damage.

http://www.peacecorps.gov/home.html

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