It's a great time for those who have consistently fought to bring environmental concerns to the forefront in the news as well as in people's minds across the world. Finally, the green movement, the movement to help stop dangerous greenhouse gases from destroying the ozone layer and causing disastrous global warming, is gaining a ton of momentum thanks to the persistence of activism.
The publicity this movement has received lately is astounding. First, we have Al Gore, our former Vice President, winning an Oscar (who'd a guessed it?) for a controversial yet thought provoking documentary on the iminent threat of global warming.
We all know that anything that originates in Hollywood garners boatloads of media publicity, so this alone generated awareness and support where there was a relative lack thereof before, and motivated thousands if not millions out of complacency.
Sure, there are critics of the documentary that say the iminence as stated by the former Vice President is overstated, but isn't it nonetheless a victory in the fight to reduce greenhouse gases through awareness?In addition to the Hollywood attention, there are organizations such as TerraPass gaining recognition and wide sponsorship for their efforts in reducing emissions from vehicles by a unique marketing strategy.
TerraPass is an organization that funds research for alternative energy sources and promotes awareness about what is called your "carbon footprint", or how much you contribute to the buildup of carbon monoxide gases which destroy the earth's ozone layer and contribute to global warming.
What you can do is go to their website, Terrapass.com, type in the year make and model of your vehicle, and it will calculate your contirbution based on that information.
Your moneys are then donated to alternative, earth friendly, renewable energy projects such as windmill farms, which generate energy resources without damaging the environment.
A simple concept, and yet it has taken off and become incredibly popular - especially in states like California, which is the leader in environmental awareness and proactive politics on environmental issues.
The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is even getting into not only the promotion of green living, but he also lives by example.
Two of his Hummers are now powered by alternative, earth friendly fuels, and he has signed landmark legislature which calls for the reduction of greenhouse gases by 25% - a huge endeavor - by the year 2020.
The governor has indicated a strong stance in preventive measure against global warming, and has created a political culture of awareness on the subject by drawing public attention to his policies. This is great news for the green movement.
You almost can't go a day without reading some sort of news about global warming nowadays, so this alone shows that it is now a public concern and of public interest, otherwise the newspapers wouldn't bother writing about it.
The fact is, we all have a part in keeping our environment safe and people-friendly for thousands of years to come, and the publicity as of late has only reinforced the idea that if you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
Best Bets for Weight Loss in 2009
Weight loss seems to be on everyone's mind during those post-holiday weeks in early January, and who can blame us all for worrying? It seems like the entire month of December is spent on one nonstop smorgasboard of fattening, sugary, salty foods. So, when it's time to finally reel it in and curb your calorie intake again, what are your best bets to get the ball rolling toward a fitter, trimmer, healthier you?
The Best Supplements to Start Taking in 2009
In this day and age, it's hard for us to actually "eat" our vitamins, minerals and other necessary nutrients in the proper amounts by consuming the foods. Read on for information on what I feel are the most critical supplements one should consider for daily consumption to enhance their health, appearance, brain function and longevity.
Alternative Ways to Quit Smoking This New Year
With the ever-increasing price of cigarettes, and volumes of warnings that aim to increase the public's awareness of the dangers of cigarette smoking, you'd think it would be a no-brainer for smokers to just up and quit the habit cold turkey. However, being a former smoker myself, I know that this statement is neither realistic, nor fair. So, what are the alternative options to quitting smoking?
