Welcome back! It's good to see you again. Please note that I am now publishing all new material at my hub site: In Context Blog

As I was doing my research for this post over the past few days, I came to the conclusion that I just can’t write an article about the environment and the Anthropogenic Global Warming controversy** without getting into a political diatribe. This blog is no place for politics, and I simply will not get into that type of discussion here. (Well, maybe a few little jabs, but don’t click the links with an [*] if you don’t want to know.)

Things everyone can do

Therefore, I will share a short list of things that everyone can do about being kind to our environment without turning yourself into a hypocrite*, a demagogue*, or worse*.

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Get some of the canvas tote bags for your grocery shopping. There is an initial investment, but over time you can reduce the amount of garbage that you generate with all of those paper or plastic bags.
• Carpool - While not always feasible in many cities, there are websites where you can meet up with other drivers that are going your way.
• Regulate your thermostat - In the winter: “According to the Rocky Mountain Institute, for every 1° you lower your thermostat, you save 2 percent in energy costs. What many people don’t realize is that you can comfortably lower your thermostat by 5-10° at night, when you’re tucked into bed. A programmable thermostat makes this adjustment for you, and can even be set to warm the house back up before your alarm clock goes off.“
• Turn off the TV - Now that the US presidential election cycle is in full swing, and the Nobel Peace Prize is about to be awarded to the “spokesman” for AGW, you would be wise to avoid the media circus that is developing. Instead, curl up with some educational reading***. Or go for a walk.

This has really had an interesting effect on my mood, so this is all for now. It’s really just not my arena.

*= Snarky link
**= Really funny photoshop
***= Non-politically-correct study of AGW