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Let's get wise
Many organisation around the world are coming up with innovative ways to lower emissions of greenhouse gases. The web portal openDemocracy's My ZeroCarbonCity project invites visitors to put in their views on reducing emissions f these gases. "What would your ideal climate-friendly city look like? Would there be wind turbines or nuclear power stations? Would people travel by bike or CNG taxis? What would your house, business or school look like?" These are some of the queries posed by the site.

Readers are asked to forward their ideas to this forum by May 21 2005. And they have been asked to send in their views to climate@opendemocracy.net.

And many have actually responded. One of the more inventive respondents note: "Computers and high-tech business could be a problem unless they become much more efficient -- where will all that sustainable, zero-emission electricity come from? How can computer chips be manufactured? They may become 50 times more expensive." Another suggests, "I think the roads are should be full of pedestrians, skateboards, bicycles, rickshaws, pedicabs and horses . Motor vehicles will probably have to be outlawed. Houses will have solar roofs and/or geothermal heating, low-energy lighting and water recycling systems. People will get used to a vastly slower and simpler pace of life." What's your opinion? Go ahead and send them in.