cutting carbon

A few lines on carbon reduction. New Internationalist this month has an excellent set of articles exploring the issue. For example, an 80% carbon reduction would put us back at levels last seen in 1972, interesting, people were clothed, ate food, lived their lives, it wasn't disaster time. So it is perfectly possible.
In the analysis section there is a nice piece on eight steps to a lower carbon future. As follows:
Build the mother of all movements: social movements around the world are exploring alternative ways to live. The climate change issue can bring together people from across the planter with many different local needs but a common goal.
Stop the worst stuff first: we need to phase out coal entirely over the next 20 years and stop the hideous tar sands oil extraction process in Canada. Biofuel is a non starter as it is wrecking virgin forests, doing so immediately changes the options for the people in such places.
Get the alternatives going: we know what they are, lets get a huge expansion of alternative power so it becomes the normative power sources.
Clamp down on the climate criminals: People and governments need to clamp down on the oil industry which is pillaging the earth for its shareholders, global rules to eliminate destructive development are increasingly possible, and can curb the excesses of massive corporate powers.
Reclaim democracy and clean up politics: independent and fearless people and media are vital for democracy. There is a global network of people and organisations all gearing towards greater levels of public participation and engagement in their communitities, this can extend to all aspects of public life.
Fight the growth myth: aim for a balanced steady state economic model.
Stick a spanner in consumer culture: encourage art, music, creative writing to expose the failures of the culture of shopping, this is hearts and minds work as much as transport and energy.
Defened and extend local sovereignty over land and food and forests: the most effective way to protect forests is to protect peoples land rights - small scale sustainable farming locks carbon in the soil and enables people to live. It also equalises access to food sources, unequal access is a major contributor to food scarcity and famine.
New Internationalist December 2010