WHAT'S A NUMBER?

Having career batting average of .310 may get you into the Baseball Hall of Fame. $10,633,206,380,182.84 was our national debt on January 27, 2009. A cholesterol level less than 200 is ideal to decrease your risk of heart disease. 380 parts per million (ppm) is the current level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Unfortunately, an ideal level is 350 ppm or less. If this level remains the same or increases, we will be unable to stop or reverse global warming. At 450 ppm, we will have catastrophic changes in our climate. Fortunately, like high cholesterol, if you catch it early enough, you can prevent the condition from worsening and you may be able to reverse it. Hopefully, we can catch it early enough by reducing this number below 350 ppm. We can start at home by recycling, driving less and buying locally and, in Washington, by demanding Congress to pass a comprehensive bill to stop global warming. Alternatively, we can do nothing because it is just a number. What is the worse that can happen? 1.877 billion children who live on this planet would rather not find out.