Kyoto Protocol says target nations should cut CO₂ emissions. But scientists believe that won't be enough to stave off further warming. So what can we do?

• Don't add so much CO₂ to the atmosphere
  
• Conservation
• Telecommute
  
• Compact fluorescent light bulbs (careful about the mercury)
  
• Efficient air conditioners (SEER 23+ with carefully designed air flow)
  
• Power conserving computers and other electronics
• Hydrogen or all electric cars
• No bottled water
• Less meat because of feedlot methane
• Termites?
  
• Nuclear, wind, solar and other power generation alternatives
• Tim Worstall is optimistic about technology
• Bill Gates is taking a stand for nuclear power generation based on an advanced breeder reactor design. terrapower, travelling wave reactor
  
• Global economic transformation (code for depression)
  
• Carbon trading provides a benefit to companies who reduce emissions because they can then recover some value from their cost and effort. People who buy carbon credits make this system work as buyers but they are generally carbon overproducers with excess money. The idea that Al Gore is buying carbon offsets to support his lifestyle is somehow depressing.
  
  
• Remove CO₂ from the atmosphere
  
• Carbon sinks
• Other technologies (like "bio" or "nano" or maybe a new buzz word like "macro")
  
  
• Increase albedo (reflect more of sun's 342 watts per square meter before it heats us)
  
• Space reflectors (big ones, millions of balloons in high orbit shading the equator )
  
• Nuclear explosions to add dust to the stratosphere
  
• Seed volcanoes with sulfur
  
• Add sulfur to the stratosphere
  
• Do something with clouds (make more)
  
• Mess around with the upper atmosphere
• Add more sulfates (smog) to the atmosphere
  
  
• Adapt to change
• Move populations back from the coasts
• Shift agricultural patterns northward (or southward in the other hemisphere)
  
• Reduce other pollution effects (fertilizer, insecticide, metals, chemicals, etc.)
• Do somthing to avoid the inevitable wars and genocide
  
  
• Learn more (spend more on studies)
  
• Improve current science and computer models
• Add more scientists

It is fascinating that all we really know how to do is the first major point in this list. We can slow additions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The consensus is that if we really make an effort we'll slow additions by 2050 and really tamp them down by 2100. Global temperatures will rise as predicted, 1.4-5.8C by 2100 and continue to rise for hundreds of years thereafter.

The amount of CO₂ already in the atmosphere is enough to assure temperature will rise in the future. The state of the art does not currently include anything that would allow us to remove CO₂ or block incoming energy. This may turn out to be where the real solution to this crisis lies.

Lots of people believe that the real solution will come from discoveries made by future scientists. Others over 50 believe that they have no stake in the game.