Want an effective strategy to cut emissions? Start from the top.

That's the message from Cameron Scott of the SFGate.com's The Thin Green Line. Armed with EPA data that pegs electricity generation as the top source of emissions, he argues that meaningful carbon reductions can only take place if we start at the top.

Electricity generation: There are two major things you can do to reduce the GHG emissions that power plants put out. First, use the political system to push for your area to require a certain percentage of its power to come from renewable sources. Second, reduce your energy consumption. There are many relatively painless ways to do that: replace old appliances with EnergyStar models; replace conventional lightbulbs with CFLs; unplug electronics when not in use; turn the heat down a bit and the AC up a bit; do your cleaning with cold water.

Then its time to tackle (in order) the transportation, industry, agriculture, commercial and finally residential categories. Read the rest of Scott's article here, but I suspect that many of you are already following his advice.