After attending the Nobel Conference, “Heating Up: The Energy Debate,” at Gustavus Adolphus College Oct. 2 and 3, I started thinking about what legacy our generation is going to leave our children and grandchildren. If the experts at the conference are correct, climate change has started and we need to make changes now to prevent global warming.

There are things each of us can do to make a difference. First, we can help reduce carbon emissions at home by reducing our energy use, by driving less and by driving more fuel efficient vehicles.

Second, by reducing energy consumption at our workplaces, and third, we need to elect officials who believe climate change is happening and are willing to act to reduce carbon emissions.

According to a professor of geosciences at the conference, we are at peak oil production in the world today. With the demand continuing to rise, oil prices will continue to increase. It will benefit our pocketbooks and the environment to reduce our oil consumption.

Even if you don’t believe in global warming, there are benefits from reducing energy consumption: Lower energy and fuel costs, less pollution and reduced dependence on foreign oil.

Over the past several weeks, I have seen a couple of TV programs on World War II and how much that generation sacrificed to make the world a better place. Their legacy is that our world is a better place because of the sacrifices they made over 50 years ago.

We need to invest now as individuals, businesses and as a government, so future generations have a better world to live in.