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Hallway Poll: The Greening of You

We recently ran across an advice column in which a conscientious environmentalist couldn’t shake her guilt over the occasional purchase of eco-unfriendly household cleaners. Worse, she wondered whether “…a few product choices here and there really cause that much of an impact to either the environment or my health…Mostly, I'm afraid that I might be just one insignificant person, and that nothing I do makes a difference.”

The advice columnist replied that doing your part in a small way could add up to a lot if more people were also contributing in that same small way. The key is to pick something that works better than green cleaners. Cases in point? Australia has announced an ambitious “ban the bulb” program to phase-out incandescent light bulbs by 2018, in favor of more compact, low energy fluorescents. Going vegetarian could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a significant amount, as the UN estimates 18% of greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock flatulence. And who missed Tango-driving George Clooney’s agreement to promote a U.S.-made electric Smart Car?

Which of the following are you most likely to do in the next few years to play your small part in a larger effort to unwarm the planet:

Posted March 9, 2007