It's a little inconvenient but Earth is worth saving

IN MAY the Hawaii Legislature passed House Bill 226 to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and House Bill 1757 to restore a general excise tax exemption on gasoline blended with ethanol. These laws will place enforceable limits on pollution that causes global warming.

I have never seen Al Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth," which is about global warming, but I did look at the Web site (www.climatecrisis.net). It predicts that by 2050 the Arctic could be ice-free in the summer, because glaciers are melting at an alarming rate. Global sea levels will rise by 20 feet, inundating Waikiki and making it another Venice. Extreme changes in climate will be the norm.

I took the quiz on personal energy consumption and luckily scored 3.45, which is considerably lower than the average of 7.5.

We have a solar water heater, which cuts down on electricity. And although our entire house is air conditioned, we use individual room air conditioners rather than central air. We turn it on when we are inside the room and turn it off when we leave. I considered installing solar air, but I didn't think it would effectively reduce humidity.

The Web site advises us to cut down on the consumption of red meat, because cows emit methane when they exhale. But I happen to like red meat. It is a good source of iron and B vitamins.

We have replaced our incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights, which save us a bundle of money and are much cooler. They are expected to last at least five years.

We also recycle cans and bottles. If the city decides to schedule regular recycling pickups, we'll be willing participants.

And to reduce pollution, my next car will be a hybrid.

The Web site lists 10 small changes to our daily routine which can add up to making big changes in helping to stop global warming.

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