Cindy's Blog

Well, if you haven't heard, tonight at 8 pm begins Earth Hour, where the World Wildlife Fund has asked that everyone (and hundreds of thousands, if not millions, all over the world are) turn off their lights, computers, tvs, etc. for one hour. It's one of those things that in the grand scheme doesn't seem like it would necessarily make that much difference, but if it makes us all think, just a bit more about what we do on a daily basis, and how much energy we use and rely on, then it does what it is intended to do. For more information on Earth Hour (even if you missed it this year), click here.

Even if you do miss it, or can't for some reason, take part (I'm not really looking forward to getting my almost 5 year old to bed in the midst of complete darkness, there are lots of things you can do today, and every day, to make a difference.

The cover of Time this week features a Photoshopped ear of corn with dollar bills surrounding it, and the headline reads something like, "BioFuels: The Energy Myth." It talks about all of the issues that come along with acting and thinking as though biofuels are a panacea for all that ails the environment, when in fact, they just cause different problems. What is important to remember, rather than trying to focus on these GIANT problems and solutions, is that we can really all make a difference by doing some small things.

Just to name a few: use your own bags at the grocery store. It barely takes any time to put them right back in the car after they've been unloaded, and you'll save tons of trees if you go paper, and lots of petroleum if you go plastic. Buy fair trade, organic coffee and foods. We will, as a wold, all be better off if we have fewer chemicals and better working conditions/ wages for the people working to provide our foods.

Replace your light bulbs with compact flourescents. If you haven't done this yet, it really does make a difference. The list goes on and on...I'll keep posting them here, but in the meantime, check out www.earthhour.org even after today for some terrific ideas.