Quote:
Originally Posted by vernarial
Like changing my lightbulbs to flourescent. Like walking or riding a bike to work instead of driving. Like being a bit picky about whose products I buy. Simple easy things.
|
Each of those things have economic benefits as well. There is no one alive who doesn't want to reduce their electric bills and make fewer visits to the gas station. Given their druthers, most people would volunteer to do such things and you're proof.
The thing is that industrial and commercial energy usage and pollution is at least twice that of non-commercial/household energy usage and pollution. You and all your neighbors could turn on all your appliances and leave all the lights in your houses burning 24/7 and the power company wouldn't notice much. You probably don't even use as much electricity in a whole year as Google uses to power its many data centers in just one week. If every American made the changes to their lifestyles that you've made it would be a good start, but lets not kid ourselves. Guilt alone will not carry us far enough to solve the real problems we're facing. Keep on keeping on if it make you happy, but only industrial sized changes are going to make a difference.