greening

ok, i confess: i really was moved by "an inconvenient truth." i think protecting the environment is a moral issue. it just so happens that it's currently cool for evangelicals to get gushy about the environment, so i feel a little smarmy for not being so green when green wasn't the new black, and i'm wary of bandwagon-jumping.

that being said, however, our family is intent upon becoming less of a drain on the earth this year, and i'm in the market for suggestions. how easy is it for my friends (you know who you are) to go green? seth suggested looking into the citizenre REnU program. i'm buying a terrapass for our minivan, we use twisty lightbulbs, and i intend to keep the environment in mind if i get input on decisions about the asa physical plant renovation. i've got to start somewhere, so -- any ideas about what else my family can do?

• update: i bought the terrapass (since we live in the city, we don't drive all that much, so the pass was only $30 for the year), and i'm taking some of the suggestions in the slate green challenge (thanks for the link, amy): unplugging what i can and using power strips to cut down on passive energy drain; buying more cfls and led bulbs; dropping the thermostat a couple of degrees; buying locally-grown produce and shopping @ our farmers' market; line drying more clothes (it's hotter than 900 hells in our basement laundry room, so i just fling clothes about and come back in 5 minutes) and cleaning the lint filter more often; using less water washing dishes and showering; and shutting down my laptop @ night.