C3 BYOB

Intrigued by the secret code in the title? It means that the new pledge for Carbon Conscious Consumer this month is to bring your own bag when you're shopping. Whether you have canvas tote bags or leftover plastic or paper shopping bags from your last trip to the store, bring 'em along. Some stores, such as Whole Foods, even give you an incentive... five cents off your grocery bill for each bag you bring in. (It may be small change, but over the weeks it adds up to lattes!)

It doesn't matter to me if you click on the badge below and take the official pledge, or if you just keep the thought in the back of your mind until the next time you go to the store. What matters is that 12 million barrels of oil per year are used in making the plastic bags Americans get at the grocery store and on other shopping excursions. That's a lot of oil. And do I really need to remind you about the troubles with oil?

And since this is a month of mega amounts of shopping, it's the perfect time to get in the habit of BYOB.