Several people I know are making sarcastic comments about the winter we had. In fact, at the time of my writing this editorial, Edmonton is still in the midst of one of the worst winters of the past 20 years both in terms of cold temperatures and the vast amounts of snow. “Where is the global warming?” they ask, “we could really use it now.”

They often aim their taunts at me, because I often take part in rallies and events concerning the environment. I’m one of those granola-crunching, tree-hugging hippies who spout gloom and doom about the future of the Earth if we don’t clean up our acts.

The fact of the matter is that doing pro-active things for the environment – recycling, composting, driving a car less, and other ways in which we reduce our carbon footprints -is a good idea in general. Why let landfills get full, when we have items that can be recycled or given to someone else to reuse? Why use chemical fertilizers when healthy, natural compost can be made from organic things we would otherwise throw away?

Rather than driving everywhere, walking, cycling, and even taking the bus can be better for your physical health (you do have to walk to get to and from the bus stop, after all).

Having a garden is a great idea for producing your own organic produce – and saves you some money, too. Eating meat and produce from local farmers is also healthier as it is usually created without chemicals and steroids, while at the same time reduces the carbon emissions caused by transporting food from far away.

An environmentally-friendly life is a healthier life for both ourselves and the planet.