One of the fun things about being part of the Internets is to find great things that make you realize that you can be part of a solution.

The problem is, of course, the cause célebre of the week: global warming.  In the past I have blogged about striving to keep a greener home and how thankless it is.  I’m telling you –I’m still whining and moaning every time I clean, but for the main part it does feel good to know that I’m doing a little something.

Which is why when I was poking around Anita’s awesome blog and saw a button with a cute little seal saying "Freeze Yer Buns and Lower the Thermostat" I just had to click on it.

And I am ever so glad I did, because this is just the kind of (mildly masochistic thing) that makes you feel like part of the solution. 

See how cute that seal is?  Don’t you want to pinch its cheeks and save it? 

And if you click on it and leave a comment on Crunchy Chicken‘s post, you too can pledge to freeze your buns off during the winter!  Whee!

Now if only stores at the mall could follow suit and turn their
thermostats down in the winter and up in the spring, life would be so
much better. Because think about it:  how many times have you been in a crowded store in the middle of the pre-holiday season, feeling absolutely miserable and disgusting because you had to wear your parka or coat inside (since there is no place to hang your coat at most stores), where the thermostat is set at a sweltering 70 degrees or higher, even when the weather starts to thaw?

Gross.  And wasteful: next time look around those huge high-ceilinged stores and think of all that warm air floating up above you (since warm air rises) that must be at the same temperature or possibly higher than the one that is stifling you down below.

And when you compound it to the fact that these stores like to leave their doors open often, it’s really a disaster.

But back to me (me!me!me!): I have pledged to keep the house’s thermostat at 65 during the day and 60 at night.  What about you?

_______

I recently also came across Lights Out –a voluntary blackout which happened in San Francisco and L.A. on October 20th– thanks to another great blog.

Lights Out America will be happening on Saturday March 29th, 2008 across several US cities —DC included.

Think of how many lights shine on needlessly every single day and night.  And think of seeing nothing but stars for a few minutes on a crisp cool March night– maybe.

I am excited– about this, and about finding like-minded people who want to take responsibility for their fuel consumption; about the future.  I hope that you, dear blog readers, will join in on some of the fun– will you let me know so we can freeze under the stars together?