El Niño? El Scarrio!

It's the talk of the town here in Canada - the weather. People are marvelling in how awesome it is. Today is January 5th, and I think we had a high of 13 degrees above zero. To us Canadian folk, that's bathing suit weather. Normal daytime average this time of year is probably around minus 2 on a good day. I have to admit - the fact that I'm not driving on snow-covered roads and scraping my windshield does bring me some relief, but at the same time it scares the poop out of me that this is happening to our climate. Greenhouse gasses? Polar Ice caps melting? the depleting Ozone? Our poor mother earth is getting damaged every day, and all anyone seems to talk about is that we can still jog outside in January with only a windjacket on.

I'm not here to preach. I too am guilty of commenting on how great the weather has been. But at the same time, I am trying in my own small way to treat my environment better. I don't use anything aerosol. I commute to work by train. When in my car, I don't let it idle. I recycle and compost and never ever litter! I even voted Green last election! But those are just small little things that little old unimportant me is doing. In all honesty, I don't really know what else to do. I need to educate myself more on what other changes I can make, and I plan on doing just that. One thing is clear though, global warming is no joke. Heat is trapping polution and it's building up in the atmosphere. I'm sure I'm not even aware of all that is happening out there.

I guess I'm writing this post to just maybe get one person who may be reading, to think about what they could do to help out a bit. Just a small change they can make in thier daily routines to help (and not hinder) this great green globe of ours. Here are few ideas you can do in and around the home. By taking these actions you really can have a direct impact on the earth's climate - wouldn't that make you feel good?!

• When replacing light bulbs in your home, use compact fluorescent bulbs; switching to just one of these light bulbs will save 500 lbs of coal.
• Purchase appliances and electronics with the "Energy Star" label.
• Recycle aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic, paper, cardboard and newspapers which will reduce the energy needed to make new products.
• Turn down your water heater, or call a service person to adjust it.
• Install a programmable thermostat to save energy.
• Change or clean your furnace and air conditioner filters regularly to keep heating and cooling systems running efficiently.
• Regularly check your car's tire pressure - poorly inflated tires waste gas.
• Buy a fuel efficient vehicle, such as a hybrid car ( i know, i know...$$$$) or - Better yet, carpool or take mass transportation whenever possible.

If I could, I would reach out and give Mother Earth a great big hug, cause boy-oh-boy, she's been taking a beating.