My stand on Global Warming

I'm personally not a "green-freak"...*grin* and lets be honest...most of us out there aren't. We listen to alot of "HOO Haa" on the news....papers, magazines etc on how the human race is DOOMEd due to increasing effects of our thinning ozone layer, dying forests, excessive trapped CO2 gases in our atmosphere and all that jazz~. Most of us sincerely think: "OH NO~", and be worried /passionate about saving our dear Earth........ 2 hours later; we've probably moved on to the next worrying agenda in our very hectic lives. Some of us would probably even *shrug* it off thinking: "Meh...not my problem".
To be completely honest...I have been extremely complacent about being "Green" throughout the 21 years of my life, and now that I've grown up a little more; I suddenly came to realize how mother nature is the responsibility of every being on this planet; and not just the "green-freaks preaching from their hippy vans" *LOL*
I've read many media articles on global warming; watched a series of documentaries on TV....even attended a lecture on the topic at Uni; but none of them seemed to have made a big enough impact on my daily life. Not till I watched the full documentary "An inconvenient Truth" by Al-gore. You might think an hour and a half of watching someone talk about global warming would probably bore you to death, but I assure you..it isn't half as bad. I have an extremely short attention span and I survived the entire movie without falling asleep/taking a toilet break~ *grin*. I strongly urge everyone who hasn't seen it to rent/buy a copy of the DVD. It was truly a slap on the face... a wake up call...for those like me; who have been selfish and careless about our responsibilities. Most of us just can't clearly understand the intensity of the problem and how it effects our survival on this planet.
I'm not going to bore everyone with a long write up on what Global warming is and why it is happening. You probably already know..and if you don't; I suggest you look and read up on it right away!! For those ignorant and lazy;...click link ;)
What most of us don't realize is..there is so much more that can be done. You'll be surprised that they don't require much effort at all. I'm one of the lazy ones when it comes to being environmentally friendly...but here are a couple things I've changed to be less selfish and more responsible.
To celebrate...I made chocolate cupcakes!! *giggle* with organic chocolate of course *wink*I realized from observation and personal experience that most of us do care...we want to play a part in saving our environment; we do realize that the future of our preceding generation is hanging by a thread, but most of us aren't going to go out of our way to be green. Donating money to environmental organizations and recycling would probably be where most of us stand in terms of contribution. Conserve Water - turn off that damn thing while you brush your teeth!!~ *LOL* a small effort goes a Long Long way... If you live in Australia; search for the AAA rating logo on water fixtures and appliances; e.g Showerheads.
Drive less Walk more- It's better for the hips and thighs too ;). Most of us who have driven for a long time never go back to walking, but its a good way to fit in our daily minimum amount of exercise. Yay for sexier legs! WOohoo~ *grin*

Change your light bulbs - and switch them off when they aren't in use. Use Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs

ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs:

• Use at least 2/3 less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and last up to 10 times longer.
• Save $30 or more in energy costs over each bulb's lifetime
• Generate 70 percent less heat, so they're safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.
• In addition to other quality requirements, must turn on instantly, produce no sound, and fall within a warm color range or be otherwise labeled as providing cooler color tones.
• Are available in different sizes and shapes to fit in almost any fixture, for indoors and outdoors

Switch the main switch off when appliances are not in use- Takes you less than 1/2 a second to flick your fingers...please do it for us; will u? It won't be a hassle after you've learnt to make it a habit.

Plant a tree- anywhere..anytime..any plant..~ Find an empty piece of land with fertile soil, randomly dig around...scatter some seeds...cover them up a little..water them a little and walk home with a proud grin.
Say NO to plastic- Use green reusable bags, plastic ones rip too easily anyway... I have a collection of reusable bags which come free from many food companies and showbags. I have them in an assortment of colours..I have enough to match any grocery shopping outfit I have on. Looking fashionably "Green" is the IN~ thing right now ;).

Care to throw in more ideas guys? I'm getting cramped from all that typing~ Haha.

For those with a little more time on their hands..I strongly recommend that you CLICK HERE to calculate your ecological footprint...it gives you a very clear idea of how selfish you have been ;). It doesn't take too long to complete..and it gave me a better perspective of the effects of my daily activities and decisions. For those who would like to know...I had 3 and 1/2 earths *shameful blush*. LOL