by Linda Seltzer [courtesy of Blog for America]

The issue of climate change often arrives at a standstill because the proposed "solutions" always seem futuristic and unassured.  But there are things our society could do right now, with the technology we already have, to drmatically reduce air pollution:

(1) Telecommuting and flextime.  Every days the roads in the East and West Coasts are clogged with gridlock traffic, just because employees do not have telecommuting and flexible hours.  Just allowing employees to set a shifted schedule after the rush hour is over would ease the congestion and pollution.  The argument that enployees have to be together all day long is hogwash.  There are many jobs that could be done on shifted schedules or with some work completed at home.

(2) Support for a single lifestyle.  Paul Erlich has been speaking out about overpopulation and the hunger across the world that results from it.  Not everyone has to have a child.  Many people have children just to have them as a support system in old age.  If we had elder care alternatives, people could make the choice not to have children unless they really want to.  Right now we consider it to be a cultural anomaly not to have children.  However, the environment is at the point where some people can choose to devote their lives to other interests.