Greetings from the Emerald City!

While I've been busy finishing my new book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Living (Alpha/Penguin Books, September 2007), the world has been rushing ahead into the new age of sustainability. It is fantastic to see so many people finally getting the message and understanding that a universal effort is necessary to pull our earth off of the destructive route we've created and back onto the healthy, sustainable path provided by nature. As citizens learn more about how and why to protect our earth, governments and companies are making greater strides in creating the healthier options chosen by the public.

A fantastic example of this is the great news that came through this week: The Florida Public Service Commission rejected a proposal to build one of the nation's largest coal-fired power plants on the northern edge of the Everglades. The plant would have threated the water supply of South Floridians with mercury pollution, and of course burning coal is a huge contributing factor to global warming. In spite of popular belief, effective technologies for "clean coal" have not yet been established. So instead of pandering to the profit-driven power companies, the PSC just said, "No." Kudos to this public-serving agency.

Now is the time for Florida and the nation to invest in alternative, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, which are non-polluting and emission-free.

State rejects proposed coal plant near Everglades