February 2, 2008 - I didn't do much moving around today. Just lots of laying around, blowing my nose, and sleeping. The only thing I did, which I shouldn't have, was go to Casey and Jamie's for dinner. We had made plans a few days ago to meet up for dinner, and I didn't want to cancel, but I ended up spending the whole time blowing my nose. I think I had to get up from the dinner table about 30 times to blow my nose. I wasn't a very fun guest. Casey was excited to play a game of Rummikub, so we played one round. She won, I came in a close second. I went home and went to bed. Back to the global warming lessons. Today's topic is a follow-up on last Thursday. I already discussed the sun and its variable output, so now I will address the effects caused by human interaction. I mentioned that smog and pollution were byproducts of human energy consumption. These are obviously negative things. But are they offset by the positives that they create? Energy powers ours computers which give us a faster and easier way to share information, making everyone smarter. They power our vehicles which enable regions and countries to trade resources and products, allowing for specialization and efficiency in production, not possible on local levels. Burning of fossil fuels provides us with air conditioning, making living in regions previously unhospitable now viable and enjoyable. By many accounts, the pollution during the peak of the industrial revolution was devastating. Rivers were polluted. Land was polluted. But now many of these same places have been cleaned up to levels that are nearly as good as they were hundreds of years ago before humans took control of the land. I think this means that we have two considerations. First, we know that we are creating a mess, and that given the right amount of money, we can probably clean it up. Coal power plants put awful gasses and particulate matter into the air. These plants were generally located far from cities and communities, but sprawl has put our neighborhoods closer to these polluting plants. But I think it makes sense to leave these plants as they are, at least temporarily, and focus on new power production. As we bring on new sources of power, we should consider the total cost, which is the cost to build the plant, and also the future environmental cleanup costs. Those should be factored in, to see the true cost. Maybe coal burning won't be as attractive when compared to solar or wind power. I also think more pressure should be placed on businesses to reduce their waste. Waste is everywhere from too many sheets of paper being printed and then thrown away, lights left on when not needed, too much air conditioning being used causing people to have to sit in offices with jackets and sweaters on, and on and on. Businesses consume a significant amount more energy than residential users, and the waste levels are staggering. There are some very economically feasible ways for all of us to increase the positive effects of energy production and use while decreasing the negatives. We just need to start thinking more before we act.