I'd emphasize rising fuel costs, using the automobile less and the bicycle more. Let them know about how mass transit combined with bicycle ridership greatly reduces the carbon footprint that we humans are reponsible for creating at the expense of the world's ecosystem. Increased carbon emissions causes gradual rise of the world's heat index. Thereby, causing global warming. Also, how the continued use of petro lowers the availablity of a nonrenewable natural resources(it takes millions of years for petroleum and fossil fuels to form). With the continuation of us using fossil fuels, we're just making these nonrenewable fossil fuels more scarce. Therefore, we're just driving the cost up with an ever-increasing and developing world placing even greater demands on a dwindling natural resource than cannot renew at anywhere close to the rate at which we're using it.
This in turn forces the countries in the western hemisphere to search for alternative energy sources. This costs money. The scientific reseach and possible development of these energy sources costs money too. We all are just going to have to bite a bigger bullet, the longer we take to address this consumption of fossil fuels issue.
Our coal-burning energy suppliers in most urban centers are responsible for releasing mercury into the atmosphere. This mercury then, works it way into the foodchain. We get the bulk of it in our fish!
- Slim
PS.
Additionally, by either not driving, or driving less, we save on the cost of gasoline. We don't need to pay as much for auto maintenance. Auto insurance can be eliminated altogether, if you're not driving.
Last edited by SlimRider; 03-08-12 at 06:52 AM.