going green works and doesn’t hurt at all. 2009 carbon emissions drop 7 percent

While folks were grousing around arguing about policies, treaties, accords and laws to deal with climate change, popping off pithy catch phrases like cap-and-trade and talking like going green meant going broke, something interesting happened: the free market has organically cut carbon emissions by 7%. the largest drop since the EIA started measuring data in 1949.

Our Carbon Emissions Were Down in 2009 – GOOD Blog – GOOD – StumbleUpon.

The common counter point to the climate change response with green technology is that it will kill economic growth. While it appears that the recent recession had something to do with this cut in carbon emissions whereby high fossil fuel prices caused people to cut back on consumption, the energy conservation hasn’t stopped economic growth. It has made businesses and individuals act more efficiently. We cut carbon as we rebuilt and strengthened the economy.

Another major factor in cutting the carbon was the major growth in renewable energy, particularly wind power, over the past several years. It appears that the only part of the economy that will not grow in the green future is the fossil fuel sector. Can you imagine what we could do if we strategically retooled for sustainable growth?

So keep changing those light bulbs, keep recycling, and keep walking and biking to work. Because it is working. And that’s great news, no matter if you work in facts or beliefs.