The terrible part of this looming catastrophe is that people have been working on solutions for years and have developed concrete steps to massively reduce our energy use, while stimulating whole new industries and technologies that are more efficient and affordable.

As parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts we need to start getting out into nature with the young people in our lives. Families play a key role in getting kids outside.

Our choices at all levels-individual, community, corporate and government-affect nature. And they affect us.

The damage that climate change is causing and that will get worse if we fail to act goes beyond the hundreds of thousands of lives, homes and businesses lost, ecosystems destroyed, species driven to extinction, infrastructure smashed and people inconvenienced.

Many scientists and economists also say putting a price on carbon through carbon taxes and/or cap-and-trade is necessary.

It is not too late to take another path.

Because countries often have differing political and economic systems, agreements are needed to protect those invested in trade.