Within just the last several years, concern over climate change has grown significantly.

Interestingly enough, environmentally-focused online user engagement is an idea that remains largely untapped.

For the first time in human history, we are faced with a problem that needs worldwide cooperation to overcome. Scientific studies are showing time and time again that global warming is a very real problem. The effects from this unnatural global acceleration rate are already noticeable, and the media outlets aren't hesitating to scare us as much as possible.

The media, much like the web of the old, broadcasts an impersonal message to a collective whole. It speaks of climate change as if it's an inevitable fate. They speak of this problem as one of tremendous scope, and one that would require more than a goliath effort to undertake. Most people want to make a difference, but are intimidated by the size of the problem, given no direction, and are shown no clear community for which they can participate.

Web2.0 is personal. This "new media" can inspire awe through stories of overcoming obstacles. It can bring about one's inner determination using public disclosure to shock and sicken. It can also simply provide tools to allow users to build their own connections. Interactive media and public disclosure can cause people to want to act, but it's not always enough. Some of us need a personal trainer, not just a nudge. We need to narrow the scope of the problem so we can see exactly what difference we're making at a personal or community level. As this Yahoo CO2 calculator demonstrates, people need to see that even tiny lifestyle changes can make a difference. There needs to be a way of showing progress, a way of clarifying that their "baby steps" are being taken by countless others too -- adding up to an enormous leap forward.

There are some great web projects devoted towards reducing carbon emissions at the individual/community level, but the playing field is still very much open.