Making the World a Better Place

We've all talked the talk. We each have stated at least once since we were old enough to realize that we have a conscience that we want to make the world a better place. It is a noble goal. Most of us really do mean it when we are young and idealistic. How many of us, when we grow up, make a sincere effort to live out that ambitious goal? Do you? After watching Nobel Prize and Academy Award winner Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth", I asked the same question of myself. My answer was "I do."

I almost missed the most important message of Gore's film. It was embedded within the closing credits. Simple, one sentence thoughts on how to reduce one's carbon footprint, reduce pollution, and stop global warming were mixed in with the various film credits. I was proud to learn that our family already does many of the things mentioned. Here are a few:

1. Use a programable thermostat in your home. We set ours at 65 degrees in winter while we're at work and overnight and at 67 degrees when we're at home and awake. In summer, we have it set at 78 during the day while we're at work and 75 when we're home.

2. Use new, energy efficient appliances. We recently upgraded our refrigerator, stove, and washer & dryer. All operate way more effciently and we have already received an adjusted bill from our utility company that reduced our projected energy consumption based on the past few months usage.

3. Use less water. We did not water our lawn a single time during the long, hot, dry summer we just endured. Sure, the yard is half dead, but that just means less mowing which in turn means less gas burned in the mower which means less carbon dioxide emissions. We used so little water this summer that our lagoon completely dried up for the first time in the eight years we have lived in our house.

4. Recycle. Our family of three, which also feeds and supplies seven pets, usually places only one garbage bag on the curb every week. Often we wait an extra week to take the trash out because our garbage can is rarely ever full even after seven days. We recycle every plastic container that Columbia accepts (#1 & #2 plastics), and all glass bottles, aluminum cans, tin cans, paper, and cardboard that we use.

5. Use alternate fuels for vehicles. Bethany and I both drive vehicles that can use either gasoline or ethanol. As I have written before, E85 ethanol reduces carbon emissions slightly. More importantly, it is a completely renewable resource that is currently made from corn, but can be even more enviornmentaly friendly when made from bio-mass such as fast growing switchgrass, compost, sugar cane, and other yet to be developed technologies. In the near future, more of the trucks that haul ethanol to storage tanks and filling stations and the tractors that are used to grow the crops to make ethanol will be running on blends of bio-diesel made from renewable resources like soybeans and vegetable oil. This will make using e85 a very earth-friendly choice.

6. Teach the younger generation about ways to save the planet. Bethany and I have taught Alex about protecting the enviornment since he was old enough to listen. He has a profound love of nature and a desire to protect it. When he was four years old, Alex starred in a home movie in which he toured our woods talking about habitat protection and wildlife management. Conservation will be in the hands of the next generation soon. It is our responsiblity to teach the children well.

Have you ever told yourself or someone else that you want to make the world a better place? Have you ever thought about the legacy that our children will inherit? Are you willing to change the way you live in order to ensure that your grandchildren won't have to live in a world devoid of the natural wonders that we have enjoyed thus far in our lives? If so, take action now and do what you can to reverse the climate crisis. "Save the World!" You'll be a hero if you do. Especially in your children's eyes. What could matter more?