As our awareness of the reality of global warming increases, we all try to do whatever small parts we can to reduce our carbon footprints, whether it's using our cars less each week, turning off unnecessary lights, installing programmable thermostats, and taking other steps to reduce energy consumption and promote conservation.

What people fail to realize, is that every little bit helps, whether you choose to walk to the supermarket once a week, or watch one hour less television every night. It all adds up.

If every individual or family switched to energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs, or turned down their thermostat by one degree (fahrenheit or Celsius), or left off their air conditioning units at night, we would reduce energy emissions by a great percentage, which would then slow down the progress of global warming.

If we look at the "big picture", the concept of carbon neutrality is enormous. But if we just take the little steps, being "energy aware", and doing the little things that matter, whether we ride our bicycles more often, or we use public transportation, or carpool, or find careers closer to home, or homes closer to work, we would be that much closer to finding solutions that could reverse the global warming trends.

Each person has a responsibility to not be excessive or extravagant in energy consumption. So if we do our parts, and teach our children (or our parents) to reduce, renew, and re-use, and adopt energy conscious attitudes, we will help make our planet an easier, safer, cleaner, place to live.