Wednesday was Earth Day.  For more than years 20 I have basically ignored Earth Day except when various greenie teachers forced us to do something in class.  The environment was just never all the important to me (global warming week).  Why?  Because I’ve seen first hand how quickly Mother Nature takes back what is hers.  She’s a mean old hag, and will reclaim anything, including paved roads, unless humans actively destroy the same area over and over again.  This is tough to do.  If we were to drop off the face of this planet, entire cities would be leveled in 50 years; 50 years is nothing to Mother Nature.

Editor’s Choice: Lazy Man And Money
But this doesn’t mean I don’t have an appreciation for the environment.  I’m an Eagle Scout, I have a profound appreciation for clean water, clean air, and pretty plants.  I’m a passive kind of guy and mostly let the environment do it’s thing.  It’s been mostly my belief that technology and capitalism (helped by government intervention) we’ll get us to a much greener situation before problems get out of control.  But lately I’ve been reading Tom Friedman’s Hot, Flat, and Crowded.  This book has somewhat changed my perspective on things.  Now I’m making a few extra efforts to green up my life.  I’ve never had a high carbon footprint, but now I’m actually trying as well (like putting my computer to sleep during the day).  It is with that in mind that my editor’s choice today is from Lazy Man And Money.  As the website title says, the blogger is lazy.  He’s got Four Lazy Ways to Save the Environment.  Don’t think you’ll save anything by using these tips, but you will reduce your carbon footprint a bit.

Here’s the best of the rest from the last two weeks:

Broke Wall Streeter links to a Funny or Die video that parodies Hyundai’s Assurance Program.  Make no mistake, it’s a good program, this is just funny.  Warning, there is a wirty dord at the end.

Free Money Finance wrote about something I’ve wanted to and just never got around to it.  FMF probably did a better job than I would have anyway.  This is about how professional athletes end up broke.  It comes from a Sports Illustrated story (which is linked to) that really uncovers the details of how and why athletes go broke.  Whether you love sports or are just a personal finance junkie, this is good reading.

M Is For Money made an interesting observation.  The blogger writes that an annual trip to a dog products show produces many freebies for the attendee.  This most recent show saw a huge cut on free items, and the prices on products had doubled in some cases.  That’s fine I suppose since it’s a recession.  But why then when we go out to eat later that day the lines are always long?  I wish I had an answer, but it definitely got me thinking.

The Finance Buff gave me two gems this time.  In the first one they question the media’s obsession with the FICO score  I’ve hated this thing for a long time, as it really isn’t that important when it comes to small movements.  The media treats a 10 point move as if Iran were arming nukes.  The second post is a doozy which really takes the US health care system to task. If you hate our current system, here’s a good argument in your favor. Also, you know how I love stuff written by insiders, this guy is one.

Finally Mighty Bargain Hunter hosted the Carnival of Personal Finance this week.  He featured my post about the Massachusetts economy.

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