As we move into the twenty-first century, the fundamental background issue is going to be how we deal with the impact of the human species on the global environment. First and foremost we'll be dealing with global climate change. Despite international efforts, we're still seeing a very rapid rise in greenhouse gas emissions, especially in the United States. It's arguable that we're beginning to see them already. It's very likely that within our lifetimes, certainly within our children's lifetimes, there will be major impacts from emissions even if we begin acting now.
Energy efficiency is probably the most important single issue in the short-term.
About one-third of carbon emissions comes from transportation, and another third comes from the operation of buildings. As individuals, we must either reduce the amount of driving we do or purchase one of the new hybrid oelectric vehicles that will get sixty-five to seventy miles per gallon with three times less emissions. We can also take steps to make our homes more energy-efficient. As a community, we can encourage energy efficiency when we encourage compact development. That helps reduce the distances that people drive, which certainly has an impact on emissions.