On the same week in May 2008 that U.S. scientists announced a new technology that sucks carbon dioxide from the air, Prime Minister Stephen Harper informed the London Chamber of Commerce, "We intend to lower Canada's [greenhouse gas] emissions 20 per cent below 2006 levels by 2020," and climate experts monitoring carbon dioxide levels in Hawaii marked a record high, it seemed prophetic that Anders Hayden organized the first meeting of a CRAG in Toronto.

A CRAG, or Carbon Rationing Action Group, is a group of people who measure the amount of carbon they consume, their "carbon footprint," and work on ways to reduce it. Call it Weight Watchers for the carbon set, CRAGs are not unlike the so-called cap-and-trade systems that some governments are thinking of imposing on those big industrial users that spout too much CO2 into the atmosphere.

Hayden, a Canadian, discovered CRAGs while living in London, England, and studying for his PhD on social responses to climate change. As part of his research, he joined the Islington CRAG in London.

"CRAGs are a way of bringing people together and taking responsibility for their carbon footprints and sharing ideas about how to reduce them," he says.

The Islington CRAG was started by Andy Ross, a civil engineer and "freegan" (someone who uses alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources). He woke up to climate change after reading a book called High Tide by Mark Lynas and it gave him the impetus to start the Islington chapter in December 2006. But his vision for change was greeted with skepticism.

"We all thought he was nuts," said John Ackers, the current manager of the group. "We didn't think it was a way to solve climate change. We felt you needed political action but one thing is for sure, the government is not going to solve global warming on its own and nor are individuals. We all have to work together."

Mini cap-and-trade system

Some CRAGs believe the climate change debate has moved beyond "is it happening?" to "who is going to pay for it?" With that in mind, they have assigned a cost to pollution.

For example, a Toronto-London flight expends approximately 1,500 kilograms of carbon dioxide per person, which by some calculations, amounts to roughly 25 per cent of one's yearly "limit."

If an individual goes over his annual limit and wants to remain in the Islington CRAG, then that person has to either buy carbon credits from fellow members who have not used their allotted share or pay an over-limit, currently set at 10 cents per kilogram, to the group.

That means the Toronto-London flight might cost you an extra $150 if you belonged to the Islington CRAG and didn't have enough carbon credits of your own to cover your footprint.

The Toronto CRAG

Having completed his studies, Hayden moved back to Canada with some heavy baggage.

"I was very aware that I'd made this transatlantic flight, which has a very significant carbon impact and offsetting didn't seem like an adequate solution. I had this idea that one way of making some good out of this trip would be to start a Toronto CRAG."

To help ease his conscience, he found some like-minded people and the first Toronto CRAG was born.

The first meeting drew 10 people but Hayden was encouraged. "There was a lot of enthusiasm in the group, not just for individual change, although that's part of it, but also for societal change, moving to a lower carbon society."

With revolution in the air, the Toronto CRAG has reworked its title. "We have actually chosen to call ourselves a 'carbon reduction action group,'" Hayden said, "as the word 'rationing' might be a little too intimidating for people here."

Rationing or reduction, call it what you will but the tough work begins in trying to burn less carbon. When we heat and light our homes, drive our cars and fly in planes, we burn carbon and this contributes to global warming.

The average Ontario resident burns 5,300 kilograms of carbon dioxide annually and this will be the benchmark for the Toronto CRAG. They are aiming for a 10-per-cent reduction in the first year, which will require some sacrifice. A typical car in an average year travels about 14,500 kilometres and creates 2,940 kilograms of carbon dioxide, more than half the target of the Toronto CRAG.

It will be a big change for some, Hayden explained. "We had a mix of really hardcore people who want to set very strong targets and others who are coming to this issue for the first time."

Hayden said there are some simple steps that can help keep emissions down. For example, lowering your thermostat, making sure your furnace is burning efficiently and investing in double-glazed windows can all help cut carbon emissions. "Like someone at the meeting said, this is like going to the moon. You have to set yourself a challenging objective and reach for it. This is the objective we are facing as a society. We have to get our emissions down."

In 2007, the Ontario government established targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to six per cent below 1990 levels by 2014. Avoiding climate change is the focus of lowering our carbon footprints, as the current European and North American carbon dioxide emissions are unsustainable if we expect global warming not to exceed two degrees.

Mike Symington, a former news camerman, is a technical operator in the CBC's London bureau.