but what can I do?

Today while I was picking up some things in Wal-mart today some of the lights suddenly tuned out. I might not have even noticed until one of the associates mentioned something about energy conservation. At first I was a little surprised that a huge store like Wal-mart would turn off its lights in the middle of the day, but then I thought about what a good idea it was. It was extremely sunny outside, and turning off the lights really didn't make much of a difference at all of the lighting of the store. Wal-mart is really doing their part in not only saving themselves money, but in helping the planet too.

Sometimes the climate crisis our country is in can seem a bit overwhelming. It may seem like there just isn't much we can do as individuals, but I think there are a few small steps we can each take to help out.

1. My dad replaced all our regular light bulbs with CFLs, also known as compact florescent light bulbs. These light bulbs last to much longer, which is extremely convenient in areas like our laundry room and garage. Not only do CFLs last longer, but they use about 75 percent less energy than standard light bulbs.

2. Turn off your computer and night and/or use a laptop. Just turning off your computer can save you about $90 of energy a year. That's a lot of power! Laptops use about a tenth of the wattage it takes an average desktop to function.

3. My new personal favorite is cloth grocery bags. Not only does it help the planet, but you can fit so many more groceries in each bag. No more ripped grocery bags from that heavy milk!

4. Walk or Bike..if you can! Sometimes it's just not possible, but sometimes it is. I bike to practice every morning (at West Campus) , and I have grown to love it. It's so much more freeing than riding in car. Biking is a really great thing to get involved with. Try it out!

(If you don't have a bike check out Craig's List, for some sweet deals on used bikes)

5. Write on the back of paper, and use recycled paper! We all know that PR majors are ALWAYS making flyers. There are recycled paper trash cans in both Lanier and Terrell hall. It's a great place to go to find some nice clean paper to make your copies on. No one is going to see the back of those flyers anyway. Save a tree!

I know I can not end this crisis on my own, but I will do my best to conserve and save the planet in my own way. This years Blog Action Day topic really brought this to my attention. I hope to become more aware, and do the small stuff to help our country!