I knew there was a good reason to use Green Mountain’s electricity.  I’m not saying this because their fantastically reliable, reasonably-priced 100% renewable energy has powered my home for the past 11 years.  I say it because this company is a model of community support for a cleaner tomorrow. 

Green Mountain recently funded a $50,000 solar array for the Dallas Children’s Theater at the Rosewood Center for Family Arts.   The new 16.2 kilowatt (kW) solar panel system is the first array to help power a North Texas performing arts center. By converting sunlight into pollution-free electricity, the solar array will offset 27,800 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂) each year - the equivalent of not driving over 30,000 miles annually, or 127 road trips from Dallas to Houston.

This is not a good day to be a green living advocate, given the Climategate scandal that is erupting all over the Internet.  On the other hand, maybe it’s not the worst day, especially if you are a conservative green living advocate. I’ve been trying for years to get people in my sphere of influence to see past the climate change debate, though not because I think the argument is settled.  On the contrary, it is a complex science, so complex that the much-heralded consensus among the world’s leading scientists is still not as clear as we would like it to be.  This blow is especially unfortunate because it calls into question the credibility of the many truthful scientists that continue to stand by the validity of findings that prove a definite link between greenhouse gas emissions and human activities. Nevertheless, it is time to look at the many other compelling reasons to live green. Let’s consider nine of them:

1. Increase national security. We spend nearly $100 billion on foreign oil annually (depending on the price per barrel).  That money goes straight into the pockets of people who don’t like us.