I read something today on TreeHugger.com that got me thinking about global warming -- what a surprise! Bill Nye, the Science Guy, was thinking about heavily traded commodities. These are the products that are causing traffic (sea, land and air) all over the world. The second most heavily traded commodity is coffee (after oil). Bill Nye suggested thinking about the affect coffee consumption has on the world, and it's true. The ships that pollute the world would be used less if we were not importing (and exporting) so many goods. I'm no isolationist, but maybe cutting back on unnecessary imports would be a good place for everyone to start.

The part of the interview I'm referring to:

Tree Hugger: And maybe you can give us one great eco-experiment or investigation that you can suggest our readers try at home to better understand environmental issues?

Bill Nye: You know, I did some research into what were the most heavily traded commodities in the world. The first, of course, is oil... But the second is coffee, which surprised me. It’s not something you need, like wheat or rice, but something you can choose to buy... So I’d ask you to keep a running record of how much you spend on coffee and bottled water for a week or even a month, and compare them. It’s amazing what you’ll find... And if you can convince people to change some really basic habits you can really change the world... Just think of the enormous impact coffee consumption has on the planet.

Full interview:
treehugger.com interview with Bill Nye

About 15% of America's air pollution came from ships at the beginning of this century, and the EU thinks up to 40% of their pollution could come from ships in the next two years.
bbc.co.uk article
usatoday.com article
Wikipedia: Ship Pollution