Environmental Consciousness

I dreamed up a great money-making scheme this morning, literally.

I woke up from a dream just after in my dream I’d joked about selling bottled clean air. I think there were three or four of us sitting around talking about how some people are so pretentious and how these people waste money by buying, among other unnecessary things, bottled water—when water anywhere in the United States must meet quality standards, so it’s safe and a lot cheaper from the tap. Then I suggested marketing to these people bottled clean air at $2 a quart. I remember from my dream that I meant to say “a gallon” but instead “quart” came out. I woke up right after that, and in my early morning incoherency, on my stumble to the bathroom, I thought pretentious people just might pay $8 for a gallon of clean air. But where to find clean air in this great country of ours?

The news last night reported that the reason President George W. Bush did not agree to adopt the carbon-dioxide-(the main green-house gas)-limiting standards is because China’s not adopting them. Very adult, George (said sarcastically). A good portion of the world’s CO2 emissions come from China because they keep building coal-burning power plants, and coal burning releases CO2. However, even more CO2 comes from the US. We need to lead by example rather than act like a pre-teen, “If he’s not going to do it, why should I?” Asinine reasoning.

These United States are beautiful. (If you should doubt it, please visit my travel blog at http://www.ournationstreasures.blogspot.com/.) Until we as a nation make the commitment to do what we can to clean up the environment, I am very fearful of the kind of place our children will grow up in.

Do you turn off lights when you leave a room?
Do you turn your car’s engine off if sitting idle for more than a minute?
Do you recycle?
Do you compost?