what are we doing to ourselves?

i bought the other day the dvd an inconvenient truth. al gore is behind this dvd and all the scientific information on this dvd. he knows what he is talking about. i strongly urge and plead with everyone reading this blog to PLEASE either rent, buy or borrow this dvd and watch it for yourself. you don't have to like al gore (which i do) but you need to hear his message. here is a little about the dvd for anyone who has not heard about it... WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING? Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the surface of the planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is a good thing because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising. The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it’s already happening and that it is the result of our activities and not a natural occurrence.1 The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable. We’re already seeing changes. Glaciers are melting, plants and animals are being forced from their habitat, and the number of severe storms and droughts is increasing.

• The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.
• Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.
• The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.
• At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles.
• If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.
• Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.
• Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.
• Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.
• Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.
• The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.
<>More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.

There is no doubt we can solve this problem. In fact, we have a moral obligation to do so. Small changes to your daily routine can add up to big differences in helping to stop global warming. The time to come together to solve this problem is now – TAKE ACTION

What are some things you can do? Here are a few...
1. Conserve energy (turn off lights when not using them, change bulbs to the compat lourescent ones/curly cue ones that save energy and also $'s on your bills = save 300 lbs. of caron dioxide and $60 per year, have energy efficient washers, dryers, fridges, stoves and dishwashers, etc.)
2. Limit Water consumption (don't waste water, only water on odd days or even days (pick one), etc.)
3. Recycle (reduce, reuse and recycle all items you possibly can)
4. Vehicle Emissions (do not leave your vehicle idling - big problem now with command starts and drive-thru's, car pool or take public transportation, etc.)
5. Reduce Popluation (by the amount of babies being born) - did you know that in the last 100 years or so, that the population of the world has far exceeded the growth charts from the beginning of time until up to 1900. we need to limit the amount of people we are bringing into this world. our quality of life has been raised and people are dying at a much older age than ever before and the amount of people coming into this world has increased.
6. Inflate Your Tires - keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them monthly. Save 250 lbs of carbon dioxide and $840 per year.
7. Change Your Air Filter - check your car's air filter monthly. Save 800 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $130 per year.
8. Fill the Dishwasher - run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 100 lbs of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.
9. Use Recycled Paper - make sure your printer is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.
10. Adjust Your Thermostat - move your heater thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in the summer. Save 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $98 per year.
11. Check Your Waterheater - keep your waterheater no higher than 120 degrees fahrenheit. Save 550 lbs of carbon dioxide and $30 per year.
12. Change the Air Conditioning Filter - clean or replace dirty air conditioner filters as recommended. Save 350 lbs of carbon dioxide and $150 per year.
13. Take Shorter Showers - showers account for 2/3 of all water heating vosts. Save 350 lbs of carbon dioxide and $99 per year.
14. Install a Low Flow Showerhead - using less water in the shower means less energy to heat the water. Save 350 lbs of carbon dioxide and $150.
15. Buy Products Locally - buy locally and reduce the amount of energy required to drive your products to your store.
16. Buy Minimally Packaged Goods - less packaging could reduce your garbage by about 10%. Save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide and $1,000 per year.
17. Buy a Hybrid Car - the average driver could save 16,000 lbs of CO2 and $3,750 per year driving a hybrid.
18. Buy a Fuel Efficient Car - getting a few extra miles per gallon makes a big difference. Save thousands of lbs of CO2 and a lot of money per year.
19. Carpool When You Can - own a big vehicle? carpooling with friends and co-workers saves fuel. Save 790 lbs of CO2 and hundreds of dollars per year.
20. Reduce Garbage - buy products with less packaging and recycle paper, plastic and glass. Save 1,000 lbs of CO2 per year.
21. Plant a Tree - trees suck up CO2 and make clean air for us to breath. Save 2,000 lbs of carbon dioxide per year.
22. Insulate Your Water Heater - keep your water heater insulated could save 1,000 lbs of CO2 and $40 per year.
23. Replace Old Appliances - Inefficient appliances waste energy. Sabe hundreds of lbs. of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars per year.
24. Weatherize Your Home - caulk and weather strip your doorways and windows. Save 1,700 lbs or carbon dioxide and $274 per year.
25. Use a Push Mower - use your muscles instead of fossil fuels and get some exercise. Save 80 lbs of CO2 and $ per year.
26. Unplug Unused Electronics - even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Save over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $256 per year.
27. Put On A Sweater - instead of turning up the heat in your home, wear more clothes. Save 1,000 lbs of CO2 and $250 per year.
28. Insulate Your Home - make sure your walls and ceilings are insulated. Save 2,000 lbs of CO2 and $245 per year.
29. Air Dry Your Clothes - line-dry your clothes in the spring and summer instead of using the dryer. Save 700 lbs of CO2 and $75 per year.
30. Switch to a Tankless Water Heater - your water will be heated as you use it rather than keeping a tank of hot water. Save 300 lbs of CO2 and $390 per year.
31. Switch to Double Pane Windows - double pane windows keep more heat inside your home so you use less energy. Save 10,000 lbs of CO2 and $436 per year.
32. Buy Organic Food - the chemicals used in modern agriculture pollute the water supply and require energy to produce.
33. Bring Cloth Bags to the Market - Using your own cloth bag instead of plastic bags reduces the waste and requires no additional energy.