Alex Steffen from WorldChanging.com

According to the World Resources Institute, the US is the largest cause of carbon gas emissions. It is almost universally acknowledged that the rising CO2 level is linked to global warming. Reversing this trend is the only way to solve our climate change crisis.

The bad news is that the earth is already reaching a breaking point. According to Jim Hansen, we've past the tipping point of 350ppm, which is the highest level of carbon dioxide the earth can sustain. It is still possible to reduce our current emissions to lower the numbers, but it certainly won't be easy. We need to reduce our impact by 90% by 2030.

The attitude that the world is embracing is one of: "Where's mine?" Developing countries are following in the footsteps of already industrialized nations. We're in no position to preach, and they don't want to listen. It will take more than simply changing our behavior to fix this problem; we need to make a systemic change.

A typical drill gets used only a total of 8-20 minutes over the course of its lifetime. But we don't necessarily want the drill--we just want the hole! We need to re-think products we want and place the emphasis on services. For example, NetFlix eliminates people driving to rental stores, which has a larger effect than just gas emissions. The impacts of driving a car start with manufacturing and spill over to maintenance aspects and road systems. Another good case study: Zipcar. Car sharing effectively takes 6 cars off the road and not only due to the space saved. People are more aware of how much they drive and because of that, it improves their driving efficiency. Being aware of use cuts use.

As designers, we need to take more responsibility for our products. We need to end the concept of ownership by taking back our products and effectively and safely close the manufacturing loop. In this day and age of the internet, there are no secrets. Transparency of our supply chain will become inextricably tied to sustainability.

But the end goal is not just about sacrificing ourselves for the environment. We want to have more time, more energy, more happiness, and more beauty. We need to redefine affluence so that it is all those things AND guilt free. What would that look like?