Saratoga County Community Green

My job as a student environmentalist is pretty depressing sometimes. Okay, lots of times. It amazes me that since I started college three years ago, global warming went from a "hoax" to the explanation that this is the seventh warmest year on record in Canada, polar bears are drowning, droughts and severe weather are getting worse, and people in Greenland can now grow broccoli- a crop that didn't used to be able to grow there because it was so cold. Read
"Global warming wreaks havoc with nature" for some examples of what's already happening.

Reality IS disheartening, but we need to act now more than ever. Well, actually, we could have used more action two or five or ten years ago, but now is the only time we have.

Everyone is busy, but there are so many things we can each do to support positive actions. I thought I was as green as I could be, but a friend recently inspired me to started buying biodegradable dish and laundry detergent, and air-drying my clothes instead of sticking them in the dryer. And now I save a buck fifty a week, which isn't much but hey, I'm a college student. Certain actions are easier than others depending on what kind of lifestyle you lead, and some people need bigger cars or can't afford to spend the money on more expensive products.
These days there are so many more opportunities to choose the greener option, whether it's a low-flow showerhead, compact florescent lights, eco-friendly cleaning supplies, organic cotton clothing, canvas bags, or carbon offsets. There are lots of choices people already know about, but even I'm constantly surprised at a small change I never realized before, like detergent. We have to go beyond recycling.

Al Gore is going to the big conference in Bali to talk about (what else?) climate change. He's created a petition to show his audience that people do want a change. Not in climate, of course, but in the politics surrounding this whole mess. You can sign it.

You can also find one of about eight million campaigns by environmental organizations like the Sierra Club. Usually all you have to do is call or email your representative.

Also, the House of Representatives just passed the Energy Bill! It's a good one: "A national renewable electricity standard means consumers across the country would save more than $13 billion on their energy bills by 2020. Raising fuel economy standards will save American consumers $25 billion at the pump, create 170,800 new jobs in America, and cut U.S. global warming pollution from passenger vehicles 21 percent by 2030." (from Sierraclub.org).

Now we have to make sure it goes through the Senate. You can call our senators to tell them that you'd like to see this go through. The website offers talking points, which makes calling significantly less scary.

This weekend, December 8th, is the International Day for Climate Action. There are no activities in our area that I've found so far, but that shouldn't stop you from finding one, or making your own.

-Shona