The European Commission urged citizens in the 25-nation European Union on Monday to turn off the lights, defrost the fridge, and put on some walking shoes in an effort to fight global warming. The Brussels executive launched its "You control climate change" campaign with a list of 50 tips that people can take to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) that are blamed for warming the earth.

"We can do more. We can always do more," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told a news conference. The EU, which was instrumental is getting the Kyoto Protocol to come into force after the United States pulled out, is considered a world leader in fighting climate change.

The Commission said individual households account for about 16 percent of the bloc`s greenhouse gas emissions. Turning down the heat, regularly defrosting old refrigerators, and walking or biking to work were ways citizens could help reduce emissions, it said.

(Planet Ark, 30/05/2006)
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