Global warming is not cool

People talk about global warming so casually that their chatter often evokes more ignorance of the topic than expertise.

The scientific definitions related to concepts such as the greenhouse effect, global warming and climate change also make understanding an already complex topic even more confusing.

In our market economy, investors seize opportunities to capitalize on trends.

The marketing of "green" products has grown exponentially in the last 18 months. Most of these products claim to protect Mother Earth in a variety of ways from reducing carbon dioxide, to the claim of being a non-contaminant to having been packaged in a recyclable container.

Being bombarded with warnings about global warming—and at the same time reading the global news reports about 2010 being one of the most grueling winters in several decades—does not help to clarify the issue.

Various interest groups offer opinions and even research that does not necessarily agree with what the scientists exposing the global warming problem say.

Do not forget that if government regulations are passed enterprises will have to spend large quantities of money reforming their infrastructure and production lines to comply with them.

It is no wonder that people question the entire situation.

Are the scientists exaggerating? Are the market opportunity chasers taking advantage of public concern? Do these interest groups know the truth?

The answers may not be as simple as yes or no, but there is something we should be certain of: things need to be in balance.

Take the human body as an example. Go and ask a doctor about the medical causes of any illness and the answer will invariably end up being an imbalance of some kind.

When we humans decided that our quality of life would increase by introducing the mass production of goods, and with this we introduced the proliferation of smoke stacks polluting the air, we induced some imbalance.

When we  decided that it was more profitable to produce fruits and vegetables with added chemicals that make them bigger and more colorful, and more chemicals that kill any bugs that may diminish productivity, we added to this imbalance.

When  humans decided that our happiness was in having the most recent gadget, the fanciest TV, in exchanging the car every four years and the computer at least every two, and because we have the right to pursue happiness no matter what we rub out in the way (like trees, natural habitats, species, and farming land), we definitely created an imbalance.

It is easy to say that we ordinary people are in no position to do anything about the problem, that we were not consulted in President Barack Obama's recent decision to permit more offshore drilling or that we are not the CEOs that could take the alternate, environmentally sound route to production.

But we do have one power: We are the consumers.

Remember the market economy? If the demand increases or diminishes, production moves accordingly.

We need to consume less and  make wiser choices. The whole having-more-makes-you-happy idea is a market strategy developed by industries to lure you into yielding your money to them.

Take responsibility and do your part in saving resources, energy and water. Make a conscious habit of turning off the lights, saving gas, and fixing leaks in your faucets or toilets. But also be a more responsible consumer.

In the same way that it has became popular for people to count calories when eating or shopping for groceries, calculate how much water and energy it takes to produce an item and how recyclable it is before actually buying it.

Once you do that calculation, ask yourself if you still want or need it. If you want it, don't get it. Save the money for something less environmentally expensive. If the money is burning a hole in your pocket, take it out and send it to a worthwhile nonprofit organization that might make better use of it.

Then take out your old phone and call your friend. Visit each other, walk to his or her house or take the bus, and work together, play together, actually talk face-to-face.

You may discover that personal interaction could bring happiness of the kind that is free and environmentally friendly.