The first answer is easy, unfortunately. Essentially, there is no national leadership. With a White House that bases its economic and foreign policies largely on fossil fuel development, much of the world has turned a blind eye to what this administration says about global warming. And with a Congress hamstrung by fossil fuel lobbyists and a leadership who would rather waste time debating gay marriage, don't look for any constructive discussions on real issues.

In response to Washington's perpetual head in the sand, there is a growing movement by state and local leaders to address global warming. Throughout the U.S., we are seeing multiple initiatives to reduce our greenhouse gas footprint, from the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in which over 230 mayors have pledged to reduce their cities' greenhouse gas emissions, to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a co-op of Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states pledging to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and to 21 states that have now committed a portion of their electricity portfolio to include renewable energy sources.

Hence, the answer to the second question. Here in Utah, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s recent announcement to reduce the state's energy consumption 20 percent by 2015 is a huge and positive step forward. Energy efficiency, or powering more with less, is simply the cheapest and cleanest source of power.

But while some are working to reduce our energy and greenhouse gas footprint, others are forging ahead with business as usual; pushing plans to build more traditional coal-fired power plants. At last count, there were approximately 114 such new facilities in planning stages across the country, including here in Utah.

With coal being the largest source of CO2 in our atmosphere worldwide, building more CO2-spewing power plants that will exist for another 60 years will only add to the global warming problem rather than address it. Furthermore, it will increase our addiction to fossil fuels, not lessen it, and at the same time pinch market availability for renewables such as wind, solar and others.

The Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club is proposing a better way with the Utah Global Warming Initiative, in which we are simply asking Gov. Huntsman to set greenhouse gas reduction targets for the state. Like any long-term business strategy, one needs goals. In this case, we are seeking a 7 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2012, followed by additional incremental reductions in decades to follow.

As a way to build support for this Initiative, we are holding a Global Warming Action Rally at the Gallivan Center on June 17 in downtown Salt Lake City. Some believe that it's difficult to achieve reductions without knowing what we are currently emitting. The mere facts, however, surely indicate that our state is emitting more greenhouse gases than in years past. Utah obtains 95 percent of its electricity from coal combustion, almost twice the national average. And with our state's population increasing from 1.7 million in 1990 to a projected 3.6 million by 2030, it's easy to see that our heavy reliance on traditional coal will result in more CO2, not less.

Most scientists agree that time is critical. The Joint Science Academies from 11 industrialized nations, including the U.S., said in 2005 that "a lack of full scientific certainty about some aspect of climate change is not a reason for delaying an immediate response that will, at a reasonable cost, prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system."

The point is, we know enough to act. Global warming is real and is happening at a faster rate than most suspected, it is human-caused, and there are steps we can take now to reduce our CO2 footprint in the future.

In conjunction with the governor's energy efficiency initiatives, he can further bolster his image as a national leader on addressing global warming while seeking economic development by setting Utah's own greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Such a move is a long-term strategy that will help to foster more renewable energy projects in Utah, while working to prevent the saddling of future generations with a problem they had no part in creating. When it comes to this immense crisis, it needs to be recognized that we are all part of the problem and are therefore part of the solution. Let's all do our part.

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Tim Wagner is the director of the Utah Smart Energy Campaign of the Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club