TIME Magazine Launches the Global Warming Survival Guide
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 04. 9.07
The recent issue of TIME Magazine, dated for today, April 9th, is a special double issue that features a large section on global warming. It includes a “Global Warming Survival Guide” with 51 things we all can do to make a difference with an assessment of their impact as well as their “feel-good factor.” Of course many of these tips have been a topic of conversation on TreeHugger over the past few years, such as switching your lightbulbs to CFL’s, turning off and unplugging your computer and electronics, ditching the McMansion and just saying “no” to plastic bags. We’ve also written about planning a green wedding, growing a garden and Zipcar among other several tips in this article. But TIME did bring us a few new ideas that we found worth mentioning:
- Let employees work close to home. We at TreeHugger work virtually so we love the idea of commuting less or even working from home.
- Move to a high-rise. Apparently the Big Apple is home to the greenest citizens in the U.S. This is because few New Yorkers own cars (most walk, bike or ride public transit), they live in small spaces and New York has developed up rather than out.
- Remove the tie. In the summer of 2005, Japanese salarymen swapped their trademark dark blue suits for open colors and light tropical colors. This was part of the Japanese government’s effort to save energy by keeping office temps at 82.4 degrees throughout the summer and ended up cutting an estimated 79,000 tons of CO2.
- Move to London’s new green zone. In 2010 London developers will open the city’s first large-scale zero-carbon housing development. The whole project will cost just 5% more than conventional housing developments and will include solar panels and wind turbines along with a heat-and-power plant that will turn wood chips into electricity and hot water.
- Make one right turn after another. The United Parcel Service (UPS) announced in 2004 that drivers would avoid making left turns. The time spent idling while waiting to turn left against oncoming traffic burns fuel and costs millions each year.
Find more tips and read the whole article online. ::Time Magazine
While I appreciate Time's list, I was compelled to write the editor and ask what action Time was taking to reduce its own environmental footprint. I gave them my top five suggestions including printing on recycled paper, banning full page adds and buying power from wind & solar sources. Ironically, Toyota has been placing four-page ads for the Prius in Time each week.
The same goes for publications like National Geographic, Science, Outdoor magazine, etc. They all like to publish articles telling us the planet is in peril, but they will not sacrifice one dollar of profit to do anything about it.
Please write to the editors of these and many more publications - don't let them be hypocrites.
I think it good that a largely read mag covers the issue. yes most of us knew(pre trend) most of the stuff listed but it good to educate the masses.
Ok.. There is no such thing as Global Warmin.. Ever sincd the Ice Age the earth has been getting warmer, what makes you think it will stop? I agree that we are causing greenhouse affect but WHATEVER!!
From heat waves to storms to floods to fires to massive glacial melts, the global climate seems to be crashing around us. Scientists have been calling this shot for decades.CURBING GLOBAL WARMING MAY BE AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE HARDER THAN, SAY, ERADICATING smallpox OR PUTTING A MAN ON THE moon.But is it moral not to try?