Baby steps toward climate stability

The news from the G8 meeting in Japan, where no one dares to assume the mantle of leader on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, is enough to drive even the most optimistic climate-change campaigner to drink. But elsewhere, signs of hope are easy to find.

Item 1: A judge in Georgia is the first to use a recent Supreme Court ruling that carbon dioxide is a pollutant that can be regulated. The decision halts construction of a coal-fired power plant, at least until the builders get a CO₂ permit from the state. Many other courts will have to follow suit before it means much, but it's a start.

Item 2: British Columbia residents start receiving $100 checks from the provincial government in return for having the honor of participating in Canada's first carbon tax scheme. The expected emissions reductions are tiny, but again, it's a start.

Item 3: Wal-Mart is buying more produce from local farmers, reducing transportation emissions by eliminating the need for millions of gallons of diesel fuel. Of course, Wal-Mart by its very nature is an unsustainable business, forcing consumers to drive long distances to shop. Still, it's an industry leader, and others will probably follow suit.

Item 4: The U.S. Bureau of Land Management reversed an earlier, baffling decision to refuse new applications for solar power plants on public land. Now, if we could only get the federal government to get serious about clean energy.

We'll need thousands more similar steps to make a difference.

James Hrynyshyn's blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.