by Bill Schwartz

Ask anybody if they're against Global Warming, even the few holdouts who don't believe man can actually affect the billion year old planet, and they'll answer "absolutely, Global Warming is bad." So regardless of political stripes or economic constraints, being considered a green citizen is a good thing to be nowadays. But what does being green really mean? Al Gore won an Academy Award, Emmy, and Nobel Peace Prize for speaking tirelessly on the subject. Actress Daryl Hannah watered her green roots by camping out on a tree limb for a couple of weeks protesting the chopping down of an Oak tree. Most people have accepted separating their garbage from their plastic and paper-goods, and a few greenie-wannabes are replacing free plastic bags for three dollar burlap Eco-Bags to carry home their groceries. Sure there are chain smoking green-holdouts, but forward thinking law makers have cast them off to blow their smoke rings in glass-walled airport cells.

Are you green if you buy energy efficient CFL bulbs but never remember to turn the lights off? Or how green is it to install a PV solar system on the roof of your house but then set the air conditioner at 55 degrees while carting around the golf course? My friend Brad thinks he's very very green and isn't shy about letting everybody know it, especially Hummer drivers topping off at gas stations. He shouts "you selfish bastards don't give a damn about the planet" and then speeds away in his Go Green Prius ...just in case the Hummer drivers have guns...and then lead-foots around town giving other Prius drivers the thumbs up and rogue SUV drivers the Italian salute. It doesn't seem to bother Brad that driving a Prius like a Ferrari cuts the gas mileage in half...like say a Hummer. My friend Peggy tools around in one of those big Ponderosa SUVs that takes up four Prius parking spaces at the market. Of course Peggy doesn't let her gas sucking SUV out of the driveway until she has her list of errands (dry cleaner-market-hair-soccer practice for the tree kids) and the exact mapping of the most efficient route she’s going to take. So I ask you: who's greener? Soccer Mom or Mr. Prius?

Lots of people would like to be green, but don't know where to start, especially when they're stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the 101 or read about California air pollution coming from Chinese coal fired electricity plants. Others are skeptical about taking a few green steps forward because they think "green" costs more. Well WalMart shoppers think again. Buying in bulk is very green because you're reducing (the mostly plastic) packaging costs.

Personally, I don't like "faux" green. Don't tell me you're a greenie and get all chest-thumping about the environment and then re-sod your yard with grass and water it for two hours in the middle of the day. For my money, the Hummer driver who carpools is at least going in the right direction. I'll even give a big green nod to the hunter who eats the deer he shoots with his laser-scoped machine gun...okay, maybe not the hunter.

If you really want to be green take the time to do the little things first; don't leave every light on in the house just because it looks pretty, turn off the water when you brush your teeth and save a thousand gallons a year. Turn down the thermostat for the air and the heat, plan your errands, and recycle your plastic bottles. Use cloth napkins instead of paper and a try a powerstrip for your electronics that you turn off when not in use. My personal favorite for Greenies-in-training is signing up for Time of Use (TOU) with your local electric company. TOU works like this. The utility charges more for daytime electricity than nighttime electricity because demand is highest during the day. Actually, daytime TOU starts at ten in the morning and ends at six at night, weekends and holidays are charged at the nighttime rate. TOU takes a little commitment but it's a great way to put some green in your pocket.

There are lots of fun gadgets that are green and will help you save money over the long haul. CFL bulbs use substantially less electricity and last years longer than standard bulbs. SMENCILS are good smelling pencils made from recycled newspapers. Rechargeable batteries are much greener than the throwaway kind. Try a solar backpack that recharges your cell phone, computer, or MP3 player so when you're out hiking you can experience nature in high def instead of watching it on TV. High electricity bills can be lowered with the use of a solar attic fan, an electronic thermostat, and regularly changing your air conditioning/heater filters. Try out a hybrid car; they're reliable, comfortable, fun to drive, get you where you want to go, and come in all makes and models.
So if you really want to be green and fight Global Warming it's about the choices you make every day. Be aware of what you do and how you do it -- from buying a CFL bulb and remembering to turn it off when you leave the house, to planting a tree, or using your eco-bag at Whole Foods.

Visit GreenFootForward.com and discover a few green steps that might be right for you.