When it comes to China, we have a way of mobilizing informal boycotts of other questionable products — toys, medicine, seafood. I suspect many of this site’s visitors would appreciate knowing specific products they should not buy, and the equivalent elsewhere-manufactured products they should buy instead.

On a related note, I’d urge you, Joe, each week, or every fifth or tenth post — whatever — to give your readers a concrete, easily-implemented constructive thing to do about the climate crisis. Some readers are likely to widely disseminate the idea beyond your blog by mass email messaging or everyday communications to others, and it might create a “feedback” by bringing new readers to ClimateProgress.

What if by ripple effect, starting here, 100,000… then 500,000… motorists just forever stopped buying Exxon, Mobil, Chevron, and Texaco brand gasoline? If everything you say about that corporation is true (and you had a similar critique of ChevronTexaco), it borders on our being immoral to patronize their retail outlets. Look at ExxonMobil’s stock performance today because it missed numbers on retail and refining profits. Why not help them miss numbers again? (Yes, cut back gasoline consumption altogether, but reward comparatively more responsible companies such as ConocoPhillips and BP Arco.) Everything has to start elsewhere.

Then, in a similar vein, let’s circulate the names of the best solar panel companies out there… the worst-offending Chinese manufacturers or products… a member of Congress doing something right, who deserves popular recognition… a grassroots organization or youth climate crisis organization which deserves support… specifics such as your recent post on phantom energy consumption. I don’t know what your readership count is, but I suspect they would like to see ways to become more engaged.

People appreciate being informed and it is no doubt an initial first step, but at a certain point, there are diminishing returns when education is not translated into action. Action, however, typically leads to more action and more actors. The person actively involved then becomes a more politically-engaged voter. Otherwise, you have education without effectiveness and results, not unlike a very intelligent, outstanding-shooting basketball player, who in the game itself, never shoots the ball.

Lastly, there is also something to be said for not drowning people in information about imminent catastrophic events without giving them the tools — beyond writing in their vote for Senator Obama for President next fall — to start doing something, and letting that resonate among other persons and leading to other and greater activity.

On this, here is a link to an interesting study cited in the excellent NY Times blog you recently recommended:

http://www.ippr.org.uk/pressreleases/?id=2240

Good job, Joe, on the radio interview at Earthbeat. (You and Bill Becker really ought to compare notes on where you hope to go with this blog, and what you’d like to see your bloggers doing… beyond blogging.)

There are lots of websites that give people ideas for individual action — I’m not sure that is my niche. I’m trying to stay away from endorsing products or companies, though I will occasionally.

I saw that 2006 study — not sure I agree with it. Seems like Gore’s (and others’) message of alarm has actually worked in motivating action at the state level and opening the door to real federal action once Bush leaves.

I appreciate your comments.