An Editorial by Suzanne Turner

Envy is a formidable enemy, and one which I am usually devoid, that is until gas prices began to climb with such alarming rapidity. Until recently, I used to find satisfaction in the little pleasures in life: driving on the road in my luxury car, favorite tunes blaring from the CD system, comfy leather seats, automatic everything. I used to feel quite smug. Lately, however, I have begun to feel a little foolish. Daresay, even envious. Now, trudging along in bumper to bumper traffic, I wince as the hybrids buzz past me in the carpool lane, their bright carpool stickers mocking me. Even worse, my stomach turns at the thought that they could be getting 40, 50, even 60 miles per gallon!

Well, hybrids are ugly, I say, placating myself, with their utilitarian looks, shiny metallic finishes, emasculatingly small wheels, and disproportionately large and unflattering hind ends. They have no style, make no noise, provide no statement. They’re just small, unassuming, quiet, Japanese cars. Nothing to be envious about. Cars that save their drivers hundreds of dollars every month, thousands of dollars per year.

I hate them, hate them all.

So recently, after sending in my luxury car payment, I began to ponder my options. Googling the internet for transportation with the highest miles per gallon, I discovered that, to my amazement, motorcycles can achieve 70 mpg. Yet there are so many to choose from. The Harley, while chic and trendy these days, also unfortunately requires a singular commitment to...

Global warming is not too big of an issue for you to tackle. There are tons of small things you can do on your own or encourage others to do to help stop the threat of global warming. The important thing is to raise awareness so that everyone takes responsibility NOW to make small changes in their life. Lots of small changes = big change over time. Here are some small changes you can make to your everyday life to do your part to stop global warming.

Energy Conservation- the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere appears to be the most important cause of recent warming. How can you help, you ask?

1.) Turn the thermostat down by 2 degrees in the winter. Reduce CO2 emissions by 0.62%.

2.) Stay in town for the weekend. Drive 100 fewer miles per week and reduce CO2 emissions by 4.11%.

3.) Replace the incandescent lightbulbs in your house with compact florescent ones. These use less energy and last longer and cut down on CO2 emissions. It’s a win-win-win situation.

4.) Dry your clothes outside on a clothesline or inside on a rack instead of putting them in the dryer.

5.) Only turn lights on in the evening or early morning when the sun doesn’t come in through the windows. Turn lights off as you leave rooms.

6.) Going on vacation? Make sure the heat or A/C is turned down and the water heater is turned off before leaving.

7.) Use cold water when doing laundry whenever possible...