Quotes about stopping climate change now

NEW YORK (Reuters) - What can people do now to slow global warning?

Reuters asked newsmakers who took part in the Reuters Environment Summit this week just that. The following is a collection of responses gathered at the global event:

MONIQUE BARBUT OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FUND

"It starts with 'Switch off your lights' -- that basic. When you see 90 percent of households in the U.S., how many times do you leave your lights on when you don't need it? I would say: Lights off!'"

ERIK THORSEN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT RENEWABLE ENERGY CORP, A

LEADING MAKER OF SOLAR POWER EQUIPMENT

"People should focus on using green energy. The only thing that we as human beings have the ability to impact is the quantity and quality of the energy we use. Quantities for many people is a difficult thing to reduce .... You have to be warm and get from one place to another. The quality of the energy is a different issue.

"With green energy, basically, we should apply the same principles as we do with any other quality purchase. Very few people buy the cheapest they can get in any possible way, but when it comes to commodities we believe that there is no difference in the quality of the energy carriers we buy. That is why people have not created a mental differentiation in terms of what is good and what is bad in terms of energy sources."

MINORU TANIGUCHI, HEAD OF ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT AT JAPAN

AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION:

"Choose cars that leave a smaller footprint on the environment and practice ecological driving -- the latter alone can reduce fuel consumption by 10 percent."

MICHAEL JARRAUD, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL

ORGANIZATION

"The final action will be the result of many small actions, so I wouldn't like to give the impression that by doing one thing you can have a clear conscience and afterward say 'fine, I've switched off the bulbs overnight, I've done my part, I've nothing more to do.'

"Definitely we have to switch off these things (computers) over night, not to leave on stand by. Definitely we have to switch off the light when we leave the building. We have to use whenever we can feet and bicycles rather than take a car for 100 meters. All that is known.

"If there is one thing to say, I believe the main thing for people would be to send a strong message to decision makers that they care about the planet that they're going to leave to their children. Because if they send this signal it will help to say 'it's not only (down to) my individual actions what planet we are going to leave to my children, grandchildren'."  Continued...