What Can Madison Do To Stop Global Warming?

I would like to congratulate Madison on its successes as a community this year: the Community Festival, a progressive smoking ban, Ribberfest, and the Folk Festival, just to name a few. After attending the Ribberfest and being blown away by the Jimmy Davis Band and Bettye Lavette (our toddler kept us from seeing the whole line-up), I just happened to be skimming through a copy of The New Yorker magazine and noticed that Bettye had played at Lincoln Center in New York the night before she played at Ribberfest. And Todd Snider, a Folk Festival highlight, headlined in the same issue. Madison is certainly bringing in quality entertainment, much to everyone’s delight. I am sure that the upcoming Chautauqua will provide another chance for residents and visitors to enjoy everything that we as a community have to offer.

I would like to express gratitude for the myriad people behind the scenes that make these displays of collective action and creativity possible. I would also like to issue a new challenge for those same minds and ask, "What can we do to help stem the tide of global warming?" After seeing the movie "An Inconvenient Truth", I have felt compelled to do something about the climate crisis. I have seen what we can do as a community, and I think Madison can lead the way in this important movement. Many local governments across the country are taking steps to clean up their acts. California has just passed aggressive emissions standards; we do not have to wait for the federal government’s mandate to do the right thing.

Several ideas have come to mind: a Bike-To-Work Day, a Green Day (with apologies to the band) where everyone cuts their energy consumption to bare minimum, a move toward public transportation—could Catch-A-Ride become a shuttle route? Tougher emissions standards for our industries here? I do not know the best approach to take, which is why I am opening the discussion to people with more experience and knowledge. If you have any thoughts on the matter, please use this forum to share your ideas, or contact me personally at jilmeka@adelphia.net or 265-1459.