The Energy bill passed Congress which includes the first increase in vehicle fuel-economy standards in 32 years.

It also includes the ability to buy more energy-efficient appliances. And you will see labels on TVs and computers that tell you how much energy they consume. You will see stickers on new cars that specify not only how many miles they get per gallon but how much greenhouse gas emissions they produce. And when you pull up to the pump, you will fill your car with a mixture of gasoline and made-in-the-USA biofuel.

It is projected that the bill will reduce energy use by 7% and carbon dioxide emissions by 9% in 2030.

Al Gore accepted his 2007 Nobel Peace Prize by telling the world in straight-forward language: "Climate change is a real, rising, imminent and universal threat to the future of the Earth. "
Quoting the new York Times in repeating Al Gore statement that :

“our world is spinning out of kilter” and that “the very web of life on which we depend is being ripped and frayed,” Mr. Gore warned that “we, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency — a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here.” But, he added, “there is hopeful news as well: we have the ability to solve this crisis and avoid the worst — not all — of its consequences, if we act boldly, decisively and quickly.”

Most of us are Wal-Mart shoppers simply because of the great bargains they offer. Now I've become a fan for other reasons. Wal-Mart is becoming one of the leaders of the green movement. So, I'm quoting one of my favorite NY Time columnists - Tom Friedman, who just wrote a column on "Lead, Follow or Move Aside". He says further, ” I wish the same could be said of America and President Bush."

The “Wal-Mart environmental moment” starts with the C.E.O. adopting a green branding strategy as a purely defensive, public relations, marketing move. Then an accident happens — someone in the shipping department takes it seriously and comes up with a new way to package the latest product and saves $100,000. This gets the attention of the C.E.O., who turns to his P.R. adviser and says, “Well, isn’t that interesting? Get me a sustainability expert. Let’s do this some more.”
The company then hires a sustainability officer, and he starts showing how green design, manufacturing and materials can save money in other areas. Then the really smart C.E.O.’s realize they have to become their own C.E.O. — chief energy officer — and they start demanding that energy efficiency become core to everything the company does, from how its employees travel to how its products are manufactured.
That is the transition that Lee Scott, Wal-Mart’s C.E.O., has presided over in the past few years.

"It is obvious that the super giants of Ikea have an even larger mission in mind: environmental and social responsibility. As stated on their website, the three cornerstones that make up this facet to their business are as follows:
· Our cost consciousness and resource efficiency result in less usage of raw material and less waste and discharges.
· The extensive use of wood in our products. Wood is a recyclable, biodegradable and renewable material and it is excellent from an environmental point of view.
· Training and engaging our co-workers to work with environmental issues.
For more information on Ikea’s environmental and social work (they donate money to children’s programs in Uganda and Angola), check out their website:
http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/social_environmental/projects.html

Making, filling and shipping billions of plastic bottles generates huge amounts of Carbon Dioxide, equivalent to 2.2 million cars in the US alone.

Some major brands have come in for further criticism necause the water they sell is equivalent to what comes out of most taps. Aquafina uses tap water.

The article starts by stating: "The compact fluorescent lamp, or CFL, has reached eco-friendly superstardom. It's touted everywhere you look as one of the best and easiest ways for consumers to help the planet."

But can this little bulb with the distinctive swirly shape really make such a big difference in reducing global warming? Absolutely. According to the U.S. Energy Star program, if every American home replaced just one standard incandescent light bulb with a long-lasting CFL, we would prevent greenhouse gases equal to the emissions of 800,000 cars.

If you want to save money and help flip the switch on global warming, it's time to jump on the CFL bandwagon.

I am 95% converted, with only a couple of bulbs waiting to burn out.