Monday, February 19, 2007

It's Easy Being Green

The Environmental Science class I'm taking has brought us to the discussion of fossil fuels and how their usage is what is creating somewhat of a blanket around the earth's atmosphere which is going to make us uncomfortably warm in the upcoming years.

We then got to watch the Al Gore movie An Inconvenient Truth. Now whether or not you are Republican or Democrat or something else, that all needs to be put aside. Global warming is not a political issue, it's should be everyone's issue. Everyone needs to watch this movie. What Al's got to say makes sense. What would be the point of him yanking our chain about the dissolution of the arctic ice caps, or the fact that malaria has moved to higher elevations in Columbia, or that many animals could be extinct by the year 2050? You know, I just don't want to wait around and not do anything and see if all this really happens. Let's just pretend this is a hoax. Is there really anything to lose by discovering alternative fuel sources?? I actually saw a sign on the PA Turnpike this weekend for a bio-diesel product. Is there anything wrong with planting more trees?

Michael over at Smoke and Mirrors has a friend that runs his VW Bug on veggie oil. Watch this video to learn more about it.

I learned about this groovy website where you can basically buy redemption for your CO2 sins. The folks at Terrapass will help you evaluate your CO2 emissions for your car, for your airline travel and how much you emit while at home. I have found that my home emissions of CO2 are average for the state of PA. Fortunately, I'm obsessive about turning off lights when I'm not in the room, though I do need to buy some compact flourescent bulbs instead of the incandecent ones I currently use. Terrapass will tell you how many terrapasses you should buy to offset the estimated usage and will provide you with tips on how to cut down on energy usage. TerraPass funds clean energy from sources like wind farms, methane capture facilities (poop collection), and you get a groovy decal and bumper sticker to show how green you can be.

There's a link on the site that tells you all about Terrapasses business partners. For all you eBay folks out there, check out the green shipping alternative called UShip.

I hate to contradict Kermit the Frog, but it's pretty easy to be green!!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't forget the EcoPod. Recycling for the hereafter.

What I love are people (like Nick) who say there's no such thing as global warming...how come there's so much snow this winter? Um. Because, it's not all about the world being hot all the time. It's about extremes of weather. And granted climate change has happened before (if you believe the evolutionist theory), with the Earth having gone from being sub-tropical (dinosaur age) to an ice-age. But who says we're not speeding it up. I sure don't want to wait to find out.

SnotSucker said...

Very cool link! Thanks Carn! :)

Bone said...

Good post, Carnealian. Good info. Good cause. Anyone that looks around and can't see things drastically changing has closed their eyes.

Anonymous said...

Good post. What frightens me are the people who say (and believe when others say it to them) that there is no global warming. Their proof? (Wait for it)

It's cold outside.

They think because we are having record snows that it is too cold for global warming, or (here's the really scary thing) that, if there is such a thing, it is a good idea because they are too cold right now.

How freaking stupid are some people? It boggles the mind.

Hugs for you, my green friend.

Oh, and I don't know if you noticed, but I changed the name of my blog back to "Drowning on the Prairie"
Sorry for confusions on my part.