Blog Action Day 2009

I've become aware that today is Blog Action Day 2009. Well, it still is for me for about thirty-three more minutes. This year's topic is global climate change. As most of us thinking people have become aware, we humans are adding to the problem of raising the average global temperature. We also realize the need for all of us to help to alleviate this problem before it's too damn late.

The biggest contribution I have made was donating my car to Volunteers of Minnesota about five years ago. I thought that perhaps some single mom would have a greater need than I for a car, so I gave it up. I have not regretted the decision since. I live about a mile and a half from my work, so I walk. Many of the incredibly nice people I work with offer me rides home nearly every day, so I walk to work, and usually get a ride home. Anywhere else I have to go, I walk, ride with someone or take the bus.

It's amazing that you can get along without a car, and living in Minneapolis, it's absolutely great not to have to scrape snow and ice from a car, pour gasoline into it or pay insurance for it. Not to mention all the greenhouse gases that have not gone into the air because of me in the last five years.

We have been using compact fluorescent light bulbs for four years, which save electricity, and therefore money and CO2 emissions. Each cfl bulb can help to keep up to a ton of carbon from going into the air per year.

I also don't eat much meat. Once or twice per week on average. It's not a vegetarian thing, just that I don't eat much at all, including meat.

Finally, I haven't flown anywhere for several years. Air travel is a huge contributer to greenhouse gas emissions, so I don't travel much either. Not that it's a noble decision I've made, I'm just too poor to travel.

So, I know there is a lot more I can do, but it's a good trend. Just what are you doing to help the climate change problem?