Climate Change Actually Is A Matter of Individual Choice

A new study finds that 65% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. are under the direct or indirect control of individuals. However, many of those habits are difficult to change given land uses.

1 minute read

October 6, 2008, 8:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur

"The figure for consumers in the rest of the world is just 43%. Americans, largely because of how they drive and how they build and use their homes and offices, lead some of the most energy-intensive lives in the world.

'We in the U.S. have a much greater ability to influence this issue than perhaps people recognize,' says Jon Creyts, a McKinsey principal who assembled the numbers.

But harnessing people power won't be easy. There are big practical constraints, notably costs."

Read the full story: A Big Sum of Small Differences

Thursday, October 2, 2008 in The Wall St. Journal

Environment United States Climate Change Greenhouse Gases

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