being green

i heard a story on npr about how summer icebergs in the arctic are becoming smaller and farther a part. this is putting polar bears in jeopardy, because the bears use the icebergs as a resting place when hunting in deep waters.

after hearing the tragic plight of polar bears, i felt helpless. i wanted to make a huge iceberg in my freezer and airlift it to the arctic. if only that was really possible. stories like these remind me how fragile our environment is. and mr. pike and i are trying to be more environmentally conscious.

my sister, mrs. jones, gave us a book -- the green book -- and it gives great every day ways to be a little more green.

we've changed our light bulbs to the energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. i try to bring my own bags to the grocery store. and i changed our plastic shower liner to a cloth one.

every month or two i take it down and wash it. i just did laundry yesterday, and put the liner in the wash with a little bleach. it's now beautifully white -- like brand new. it made me feel good that i wasn't throwing away this huge moldy plastic sheet.

while all of these efforts are small on their own, i think every bit helps.