Giving thanks that we haven't completely depleted our natural resources

It's Thanksgiving, which means lounging around in PJs and being lazy until the last minute. All I have to do make icing for the cake I baked yesterday and we don't have to leave until 3:00-ish. That gives me all day to procrastinate making that icing.

I've made coffee and I ate breakfast. I took a shower and washed some dishes. I made the obligatory phone calls to parents. I have the Alfred Hitchcock marathon on AMC turned on. I checked my Scrabulous games on Facebook. I caught up on some blog reading.

At Brainsitting I learned about Carbon Conscious Consumer. Every month they put up a new pledge, a small habit you can easily change to reduce the amount of carbon you use. I'm not saying register and officially make the pledge, but keep some of the ideas in mind. This month they ask people to use cold water instead of hot for 4 out of 5 loads of laundry. That's easy!

According to CCC:

U.S. energy consumption is a major cause of climate change and, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute, water heating accounts for approximately 19 percent of total home energy use. Today's more efficient clothes washers and laundry detergents make it possible to get both white and colored clothes clean in cold water. Unless you are dealing with extradordinarily tough stains, washing in hot water is more likely to clean out your wallet than your apparel.

We live in an apartment that doesn't give us the option of energy-efficient appliances so I try to take as many steps as possible to reduce our energy consumption. It takes just a small amount of effort to make an impact on your energy usage... and your energy bill.

Even if you don't believe in global warming, surely saving money on your bills appeals to you.