I've been mulling over today's post for a while now - what to do, what to write, to somehow address the issue of the environment as part of Blog Action Day. And then, with great good luck, the Nobel Foundation awarded this year's Peace Prize to Al Gore and the IPCC - thereby spot-lighting the problems facing the world in a way that even multitudes of bloggers can't hope to touch.
The New York Times had a good editorial the other day - read it if you haven't already. It basically slams the US government, and others, for not stepping up to the plate and addressing the multitude of environmental problems facing our world. Paul Krugman follows that up with an op-ed piece today, about why the right hates Gore - because he "keeps being right".
It's hard to know what to do as an individual, but I find that every day, I get a little more vitriolic, and a little more conscious as to my actions. I bought reusable shopping bags and stashed the big ones in the car, and a small string bag in my so-called briefcase. We've replaced some light bulbs with compact fluorescents. I can't remember the last time that I ran a load of laundry in warm water (much less hot). We're about to replace the windows and door in the basement with energy efficient ones that fit properly and aren't patched with duct tape (and we should get a tax credit for some of that cost). We've been buying local produce and organic dairy products. We have a programmable thermostat that is set to drop the heat in the house to 55°F at night - although we haven't yet turned the heat on, though it's been about 40°F out in the morning the past few days. They are tiny little gestures, but important gestures none the less. We could do much better, as individuals, as a family, as a community, as a country. And I hope that we will.
Master satirist Tom Lehrer was talking about the environment way back when. Pollution was written in the early 60s, and is a scathing indictment of the then state of the environment. If you've never had the pleasure, the video is here and you can buy the record here
15 October 2007
The Environment
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10 comments:
Bossy didn't know it was Blog Bloggity Blog day. Rats. And when Bossy says "rats" she is referring to those living under New York City which is another reason to conserve our everyday waste.
See how Bossy tried to do that? Tried to post an Eco-friendly comment?
How does one comment after HRH Bossy?
I've always loved Tom Lehrer.
I'm in the presence of greatness. Nice post, well done!
Interesting. There was a letter about Al Gore in our local paper today (Fort Worth, Texas) and it should be no surprise to anyone that the writer was smearing him by calling him a liar and a Chicken Little with his baseless claims of "global warming". The NeoCons will do whatever it takes to prop up their selfish determination to destroy the earth...as long as they can make us look wrong while doing it.
how will you get tax credit for new doors? We need a new one, too, as I can see LIGHT coming in around my front door!
we all do our little parts and they all add up.
I think you are doing what everyone should be doing - the little bits here and there are what will add up to the big difference. The supermarkets in France stopped providing bags in the summer of 2004 - all at the same time. I bought 3 big reusable ones (at the same store) for 50 cents each. They easily carry in a weeks worth of groceries and have every week for 3 years.
EXCELLENT post magpie. Couldn't agree more.
I'm torn about the compact florescents, which are, apparently, loaded with mercury and very difficult to dispose of safely. Though I guess you have a while to figure out what to do with them.
Oh, thanks for the link to the NYT piece. I've been behind on my internet reading.
Bush will never learn. He just needs to get the hell out.
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