The major drawback of buying energy-smart is that it can mean an initially high investment. This can be something of a barrier for very limited budgets and low-income households. Other than that, there are no major drawbacks for being energy-efficient; in fact, consumers can recoup the costs of mid-sized renewable energy investments (such as Energy Star -rated refrigerators and other major household appliances) in less than five years. And some investments, such as programmable thermostats, will save about $100 per year on heating bills – more than three times the initial cost.

A carbon neutral lifestyle, business, or organization is an attainable goal. It can mostly be achieved through energy conservation and use of alternative fuels. But in these transitional times, before things like biofuels and wind power become widespread in the economy, there are instances when you just can’t avoid the use of fossil fuels. This is especially true for transportation over long distances, be it by plane, train, or automobile. To take those stray emissions out of the air, you can offset them.

Carbon offsetting involves undertaking an activity that ultimately takes carbon out of the air. Some projects involve donating money to startup alternative energy companies in exchange for emissions credits, considered to be a long-term investment in zero-carbon power or fuel production. Other projects, such as reforestation projects or just planting a few more trees, enhance the natural processes that trap carbon dioxide into solid form, thereby directly taking it out of the atmosphere. If you are responsible for more pounds of carbon than you can handle by yourself, there are companies that can help by doing the work for you.

Ethanol and biodiesel are the first steps in the development of a multifaceted, carbon neutral biofuels industry. By filling up with ethanol-enriched fuels at the pump, you can make a choice today to curb global warming by reducing harmful tailpipe CO2 emissions.

Switching to renewable resources is already identified as a necessary step by industry leaders around the globe, not only because we will eventually run out of fossil fuels, but because processing plant-based fuels and other products will be much less expensive in the long term, leading to greater profitability overall. Industry foresight and support will play a major role in proliferating sustainable fuel technology worldwide.

Fagen, Inc and the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) are proud sponsors of the Global Warming 101 Expedition 2007. The Will Steger Foundation recognizes that ethanol is one of many important ways to reduce global warming pollution and its impacts on the Earth’s atmosphere. While ethanol only nets 11-13% less carbon than gasoline, it is a choice people can make today while we develop more effective options for tomorrow. Climate researchers have predicted that if nothing is done this decade to stem the flow of greenhouse gases into the air, the Earth will soon reach atmospheric temperatures that have not occured since the Eemian Period (120,000 years ago), when the temperatures were ony one or two degrees warmer but the sea level was 4-6 meters higher than it is today. In this context, ethanol provides a great transitional technology that can get us on the right path, right now, as we continue to look for even better alternatives to fossil fuels.