some small steps, some bigger ones

thanks to jeff at sustainablog for posting this link about a story of a schoolteacher's idea for saving energy hitting the big time.

not sure whether this is a small step or a big one, but it's bigger than the steps they're taking in d.c. these days toward a rational national energy policy.

the true small steps are the ones that will matter most: those we take when we raise our own consciousness, by degrees, about the need not only to conserve (all consumables, not least energy) but to re-examine the foundational principle of our american lifestyle--- namely, gluttonous consumption. when we become aware, we then face the realization of our complicity and our responsibility; then comes the hard part: making choices and doing the right thing.

mostly, though, 'mericans are really good at keeping our heads in the sand and believing that our rapidly enlarging asses will be safe because we can't see the approaching danger.