The enthusiasm for all things green is, without doubt, commendable. But if all politicians are local somewhere; and if generosity begins at home; and if we should think globally, but act locally, beginning the greening process at the bottom makes eminent good sense.

Following this reductionist thread to the end, erecting a wind turbine may not be the way to go, but looking carefully around your house or apartment could be very smart.

What a homeowner can do to make his or her home greener, and save money at the same time, is far more than turning off a light. But many people still think this is the only thing they can do at home.

Do the math, and do what makes sense. For homeowners with modest monthly electricity bills, and those with blooming energy bills, the smart thing may be to have a comprehensive energy audit, to insulate, to scout out and eliminate heat loss and cold gains, to have an older furnace cleaned, to replace the incandescent light bulbs with long-life lights.

Nearly all of this can be accomplished by the homeowner, perhaps with some help from the kids, who would otherwise be hanging out on the sofa or in front of the computer.

Don't just green the house, green the family.

The result may be that we save some money, reduce our carbon dioxide emissions, save some heat from escaping, and do it all sensibly and thoughtfully.

This is what the politicians need to inform every individual rather than being windy. The reason is simple: many of us are not aware that we can start making big changes at home.