Graphics in Green

DON'T BE WORRIED, BE RESPONSIBLE

by Stacey Meinzen

Many of you may have seen the cover story in the April 3rd edition of Time Magazine: "Be Worried. Be Very Worried." It was disheartening to say the least. Should we really just be worried? Should we blame corporate America and the Bush administration for all of our problems while we go on driving alone in our over-sized SUV's, buying imported products, and putting our clothes in the dryer when it's hot and dry outside? While the article did a nice job of explaining the science behind global warming, it did not address what the average citizen can do about it. Here are some suggestions.

Drive the smallest car that you can or drive a hybrid. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save you money on gas.

Stack errands. When you need to run an errand, wait until you have more than one reason to drive to that geographical area.

Hang your laundry in dry weather to conserve energy and save you money.

Turn out your lights. When you leave a room, turn out the lights to conserve energy and save you money.

Replace your light bulbs with florescent light bulbs to conserve energy and save you money.

Buy local products instead of imported products whenever possible. The fossil fuel burned in the transport of goods is a major factor in global warming.

Compost. The gases that escape from landfills are a major contributor to global warming.

Reduce and Reuse. Bring your own cloth bag to the grocery store. Bring your own cup. It takes energy to produce disposable items and energy to recycle them.

Buy in bulk. The more packaging you consume, the more energy you consume (the energy it takes to make the packaging). Reduce consumption of goods and you reduce the consumption of energy.

Vote for people who acknowledge global warming and who are taking steps to stop it.

Give your money to companies that save energy and natural resources through using alternative energy (solar and wind) and recycled materials.

Stick closer to home. Take your vacation closer to home and reduce greenhouse gases or offset your carbon emissions through www.carbonfund.org.

These are just a few of the many things that we have the power to do to change the direction our climate is headed. Blaming others for the problem of global warming will only render us powerless and frustrated. We can all accept personal responsibility to put on the brakes for an unpleasant future or we can do nothing and pay the price.