Week...Er...Month #2

So, what a blogger I am, hm.

As many of you know, I went to see Al Gore last week in Denver with Harrison. It was something that has been on my life-goal list for a few years now, so it was good to finally cross something off.

He gave an updated version of his "Inconvenient Truth" presentation, making it the 14th time I've seen it (and now 15th if you include two nights ago). Still, every time it inspires me and reminds me that I do have a purpose in this world.

Can you get that inspired from a Power Point presentation? I think the rest of the world has as well. Two Academy Awards, an Emmy, and now a Nobel Peace Prize later, I think people are finally giving him the credit he deserves.

Pop culture has carved out an interesting niche for Gore, and the only real punch they can throw at him is the "inventing the Internet" controversy (which you might want to go do a little research on yourself. WIRED magazine "broke" the story in 1999, which makes me want to re-evaluate my subscription to them).

But I'm glad that people are finally sitting up and paying attention to what he has been saying about global warming. If you have any questions about this issue, please bring them up, and I will do my best to answer them, or, hopefully, will be able to re-direct you to smarter people.

And if you haven't changed out your regular light bulbs to compact florescent bulbs yet, I might punch your face in.

Three Things You Can Do This Week:
1. As Halloween approaches, kill the phantom.
Still reeling from your $150 electric bill last month? Phantom electricity, also called vampire power, is the energy that is still sucked out and used even though you turned the appliance "off." Energy is still wasted because it's in standby mode or has a clock, a digital timer, or a remote control.

why: Unplugging cuts down on energy waste, which will in turn reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

economic cents: This is one of the best free options out there. You could even call it profitable because of the money saved that you would have been sending to Westar. For several plugs, some people opt to buy a power strip that can be switched off. This too will stop energy waste.

Cell phone chargers in particular are huge energy wasters, and it is estimated that only 5 percent of the power drawn is actually used to charge your phone.

2. Calculate your carbon footprint.
The Nature Conservancy created one of my favorite calculators.

why: The calculator will show you how much carbon dioxide (what many call your carbon footprint) you produce and show your emissions compared to the world average.

economic cents: Carbon dioxide that you produce is a form of waste, which if eliminated or reduced would save you money.

3. Choose the right bag.
To the age-old question "paper or plastic?" your answer should be "neither."

why: BYOB: bring your own bag. If you bring a reusable bag, less waste will end up in the landfill, and companies will waste less energy by continually producing fewer bags.

economic cents: Canvas bags are generally the bag of choice, but other options are available. Mine are made from recycled #1 plastic and are a lot larger than most canvas bags. Check out reusablebags.com. Some stores such as Dillons offer a discount on your purchases if you bring your own bag.

Two Things The Kansas City Star Probably Forgot To Mention:
1. Well, they will probably mention this: Al Gore, along with the International Panel on Climate Change, won the Nobel Peace Prize this morning for their work on global warming. If you don't think that's a big deal, past recipients include Mother Teresa, Elie Wiesel and the 14th Dalai Lama. A good story that talks about current U.S. environmental policy here.

2. I will never get enough of this newspaper.

One Question From The Audience:
"Isn't global warming just an unproven theory?"

This is where the English language starts to slip up a bit in its definitions. Everything in science is a theory, and no hypothesis can ever be completely proven or disproven. Check out any 100-level biology or chemistry course. Gravity is a theory. But like gravity, more scientists have rallied around the undeniable evidence of global warming than any other scientific issue since then.

I think, therefore, I'm dangerous,
LK