Ten Things to Do

"What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's what we know for sure that just ain't so."
--Mark Twain


The following is straight from the inner-sleeve of the film "An Inconvenient Truth"--the documentary that has brought the fight against global warming to the forefront of many Americans' lives. Visit ClimateCrisis.net to find out more on how you can help save the world, and watch "An Inconvenient Truth" for an innovative look into the future of our global environment.

Ten Things to Do
Want to do something to help stop global warming?

Change a Light
Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.

Drive Less
Walk, bike, carpool or take metro transit more often. You'll save one pound of carbon dioxide for every mile you don't drive!

Recycle More
You can save 2400 pounds of carbon dioxide per year by recycling just half of your household waste.

Check your Tires
Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere!

Use Less Hot Water
It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use less hot water by installing a low-flow showerhead (350 pounds of CO2 saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year).

Avoid Products with a lot of Packaging
You can save 1200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%.

Adjust Your Thermostat
Moving your thermostat down just 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer could save about 2000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.

Plant a Tree
A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.

Turn off Electronic Devices
Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you're not using them will save thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide per year.

Be a part of the Solution
Learn more and get active at ClimateCrisis.net.

Future generations may well have occasion to ask themselves, "What were our parents thinking? Why didn't they wake up when they had a chance?" We have to hear that question from them, now.
--Al Gore

Operation: Vote!

Jimmy V and the 1993 ESPY Awards

"Cancer can take away all my physical ability. It cannot touch my mind; it cannot touch my heart; and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever."
-Jimmy Valvano

Jimmy Valvano is a legendary basketball coach from North Carolina State University, leading the Wolfpack to the national championship in 1983 against all odds. A graduate of Rutgers University, Valvano led a brilliant coaching and broadcasting career.

In the early 1990s, "Jimmy V" contracted a particularly devastating form of cancer. In 1993, ESPN awarded Valvano the "Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award" at their annual ESPY awards. His acceptance speech has become legendary, as he accepted the award, announced the creation of the "V Foundation" for cancer research, and imparted passionate words of wisdom to the audience. Two months after this speech, Valvano lost his battle with cancer--but his spirit lives on today.

You can help the memory of Jimmy V live on by supporting cancer research, appreciating those who have survived the battle, and honoring those who have gone before us. The V Foundation is just one avenue in the road to curing cancer--we hope that you will do what you can to bring that cure closer to reality.

"Don't give up, don't ever give up."
-Jimmy V

Rocking the (Primary) Vote

Ballots are the rightful and peaceful successors to bullets. --Abraham Lincoln

The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all. --John F. Kennedy


With the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary just about a month away, it's time to make our first big-time push for voter participation in 2008! As '07 comes to a close, we embark upon one of the most exciting and important election years in the past half-century--an election that will no doubt set the course of the country for years to come.

Shortly, we will post our very own ALO-Election page, but for now, "Connecticut Bob" has a great primary calendar. Also, The Green Papers has excellent resources for everything you ever wanted to know about primaries, caucuses, and how to participate in this important process of selecting a party nominee.

If you're looking for an absentee ballot, visit http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/onlinefpca.pdf! And if you have any questions, E-mail us at AmericanLeaders@gmail.com--we've got your answers.

Happy Voting!