Before deeply contemplating my carbon contribution, I was quite haughty about my relationship with the earth. I walk to school every day, don't eat meat, and take three-minute showers. Compared to the gas guzzling, meat eating, and garbage dumping ways of the average American, I thought I was treating the environment just fine.

Yet when I read articles in the Times and saw "An Inconvenient Truth", which discussed the consequences, current and future, of global warming, I was completely humbled. Polar bears are swimming for hundreds of miles because of the way humans are pumping excessive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Our atmosphere does not care where the carbon came from; it will warm the earth just the same. I now realize that my contentment with my carbon footprint will do nothing in the fight against global warming.

There will always be something that I can change in order to better the environment and reduce my carbon output. This month I plan to break this "what-I'm-doing-is-good-enough" mentality and actually take action in the fight against global warming. To start, I will unplug my cell phone and laptop chargers when they are not in use. I will also wash my laundry in cold water.