Environment, Energy, and Nature > Environment

Environment in Turmoil

Environmental Crisis Sparks International Reaction

Skyrocketing food, gas, and oil prices have impacted people rich and poor, businesses large and small all over the world. Indeed, several countries in the developing world are experiencing food shortages that have sparked violence and anti-government sentiment. In the United States, with gas prices on the rise and the recession affecting everyone's bank account, consumers are rethinking not only summer road trips, but also shorter jaunts to the beach and mall.

That's the bad news. The good news is that the spike in energy prices and the food crisis, which is in large part due to the price increase in oil, have increased awareness about the dangers of global warming and prompted people and corporations to conserve resources and "go green."

Many companies are doing their part by encouraging employees to use less paper and take public transportation to and from work, allowing some employees to telecommute, and using green materials and alternative heating systems when they rebuild or renovate. On the consumer side, sales of hybrid cars are up, while gas-guzzling SUVs are crowding used-car lots. People are trading in their standard light bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs, and clotheslines are becoming as popular in backyards as swing sets. These measures not only save energy and the Earth, they also save money.

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