War. Overpopulation. Malnutrition. Factory farming. Destroyed rainforests. Economic recession. Pollution. Water conflicts. Animal extinction. Obesity. AIDS.These are just a few of the problems that our planet and our global population faces right now. All are related, directly and indirectly. One problem cannot be solved without affecting another, and some, it seems, cannot be solved without changing the world as we know it.

(From BBC - Click here for BBC's State of the nlanet in graphics)

Is that what it takes? A change in the way we view things, a change in the way communities, socieites and nations interact, a change in the way problems are solved? We believe so, and Think: Less! is dedicated to this mission. It is a site where one teenager proclaiming that she is going to change the world is not a joke. There are plenty of websites that outline and encourage little actions, and we don't dispute that every incremental action is important, but they must be derived from a big transformative idea.

Big ideas call for a deep understanding of the interactions between humans, their governments, industries, animals, plants, and nature. We are a connected world, and without understanding those connections one cannot repair or even begin to understand the problems we face. Modern civilization as we know it today cannot simply vanish. But if we continue on our path of excessive consumption, we as a planet will face even more disastrous consequences. There is a delicate balance between civilization and nature. The two concepts can coexist, but not without some hard-fought change, innovation, and a movement of leaders and communities who demand justice. Justice for themselves, justice for the animals, justice for the environment, and justice for our planet.

So what can you do? Think: Less!

According to the October 2, 2008 article, "A Bit Sum of Small Differences," in the Wall Street Journal, we have more power than we think over most of our emissions problems. This is precisely the rational behind Think: Less! Written by Jeffrey Ball, the articles begins like this:

It's easy to mock little efforts to save the environment: reusing grocery bags, buying a Prius, putting an energy-efficient refrigerator in an energy-eating mansion. The big gains to curb greenhouse emissions, the argument goes, will come from controlling big industrial companies that spew millions of tons of heat-trapping gases every year.

But consumers -- especially American consumers -- have more influence over climate change than they might think.

U.S. consumers have direct or indirect control over 65% of the country's greenhouse-gas emissions, according to new statistics tallied by consultant McKinsey & Co. The figure for consumers in the rest of the world is just 43%. Americans, largely because of how they drive and how they build and use their homes and offices, lead some of the most energy-intensive lives in the world.

"We in the U.S. have a much greater ability to influence this issue than perhaps people recognize," says Jon Creyts, a McKinsey principal who assembled the numbers.

Read the rest of the article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122289755970595757.html