Global Warming in my back garden

The Commentator notes that I have more chance of fixing media bias than global warming. I wish I could argue this point, but alas, it is true.

I have been trying to 'do my bit' here in SA; recycling my glass bottles and paper, turning off the geyser when we're not home, unplugging cell phone chargers when they're not in use and so on. But my eco-friendly activities are quite limited.

I live in the country that holds the dubious honour of having the world's highest murder rate, so walking or cycling to work is not safe. Hubby works in the opposite direction, 45 minutes' drive away, so we can't even share a ride. I work in a three-person company that operates out of a home office, so my boss lives at work and my other colleague also lives in the opposite direction to me. My carbon footprint worries me as I climb in my car at least twice a day and hit the gas.

At least I can (safely) walk to the shops from my place, as well as the gym. I do as many of my interviews telephonically as possible to avoid belching carbon monoxide out my little car's exhaust pipes into the atmosphere, and I have replaced my light bulbs with more eco-friendly options. We try to but local, organic produce where possible, and I grow my own organic herbs. South Africa doesn't offer a huge range of 'green' products, and ethical trade is still a relatively unknown term here.

I feel like I need to do more! Does anyone have ideas or suggestions that are possible to implement in South Africa that will save energy and make our lives a little greener?

I know that Eskom is doing its bit by shutting off our power at every chance. If the state-owned entities are going green, the private sector should jack up and do so too!

No impact people

Check out this fascinating blog: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/

This guy, living in the middle of New York City (not the cleanliest place in the world), decided to live for a year with as little environmental impact as possible. He took his wife and daughter along for the ride, living by beeswax candlelight, recycling his own excrement and other crazy stuff that I would never dare to do. Makes for interesting reading!