It’s no wonder the scale of climate change can feel overwhelming. An ice sheet the size of Rhode Island melts into the sea off Antarctica. A blizzard of disease-carrying insects reaches high-elevation cities for the first time. Whole islands in the Pacific are ready to disappear beneath the waves. But, while there is much to be done, an important part of the solution to global warming may be right in your kitchen.

This month, the Ad Council and Environmental Defense are unveiling the first national public service advertising campaign to educate Americans about global warming – and show them what they can do about it. The goal of the campaign is to let people know that they can make a real difference by making simple changes in their daily lives, like running the dishwasher only when it’s full or keeping their car tires properly inflated. And for many consumers, there’s additional good news: Making these changes will save them money at the gas pump and on their monthly utility bills.

The link between your daily choices and climate change is as simple as cause and effect. The world burns a lot of oil and coal – oil to run our cars and coal to generate electricity. The carbon dioxide gas that’s created stays in the atmosphere, creating a blanket of pollution that traps heat and disrupts the Earth’s natural climate cycle. That’s leading to a number of serious consequences, including severe droughts, rising sea levels, and the spread of deadly diseases. But if we can cut down the amount of fossil fuel we burn, we can reduce climate change and protect our children from these catastrophic impacts.

We don’t have forever to act. As the TV ads make clear, many scientists think we have less than 30 years before we see irreversible consequences from climate change. We will have disturbed the natural cycles so much that global warming will accelerate beyond our ability to stop it.

That’s why this campaign is so important. In recent years we’ve seen a mounting consensus from all corners – including calls for action from corporate leaders and new studies about the rapid pace of global warming. But one of the things that’s been missing is a message to individual Americans about how they can help. That is a critical piece of the solution because a new poll shows that a significant number of Americans don’t realize they can help stop it.

This new survey by Ayers, McHenry & Associates shows that, overwhelmingly, Americans are concerned about global warming. More than 70 percent know it is happening, and an equal number think we should be taking action to stop it. But only 59 percent of Americans know that they, as individuals, can make a difference. That means that four in 10 of us aren’t even aware that our daily choices are having an impact on this looming crisis. And it is likely that many of those who do believe that individuals can have an impact still don’t have all the information they need.

The campaign’s Web site, www.fightglobalwarming.com, has a Low Carbon Diet guide that will help consumers limit the amount of carbon dioxide they produce. We can:

“ Use compact fluorescent bulbs instead of standard bulbs.

“ Choose a car with better fuel economy.

“ Run full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher.

“ Improve the insulation in our homes, including the attic.

This effort follows in a distinguished line of Ad Council campaigns that have educated the public about important issues, including “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk,” “Take A Bite Out Of Crime,” “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste” and the “Crying Indian” anti-littering campaign. In each of these efforts, the goal was to educate Americans about the simple things they could do to bring about positive change.

History has shown that when Americans are informed and motivated, their individual actions can help turn the tide. When the Ad Council called on us to curb drunken driving, clean up litter and fight AIDS, we responded. Today we are asking all Americans to join us in the fight against global warming … while there’s still time.