My generation must begin a multi-generational project to prevent a global climate crisis. As my cousin Barbara puts it, "Clean energy: It's a baby boomer's duty." This is usually what I write letters to the editor about. But it's hard to walk the walk.

I've been reading about climate change and the related problem of oil depletion for fifteen years, but it's hard to act. Yes, I am starting a web business with my daughters to promote clean energy, and I'm proud of that. But on our 90 year old house on Circuit Avenue in the Columbus Park neighborhood, we don't yet have a solar hot water heater, an added-on greenhouse, a geothermal heat pump, or a photovoltaic panel. We don't have a hybrid car.

We have weather-stripped, sealed windows, insulated the attic and bought energy efficient appliances and compact fluorescent light bulbs. Years ago, we had cellulose insulation blown into the walls. I had a guy from the electric company visit this winter with his thermal imaging camera, and we saw that our cellulose insulation had hardly sagged at all in 26 years, and the installers had missed very few bays between the wall studs. That was a great investment.

But it's hard to commit to the big ticket clean energy items. In terms of household cash flow, buying fossil fuel and power from remote sources is cheaper than investing in systems that collect free energy from the sun. Dirty energy is cheaper than clean energy, as long as we don't account for the future.

Of course, if you're a young homeowner, your investment in solar or geothermal makes pure financial sense, because you can lock in your energy prices and pay for the systems as you pay your mortgage.

One thing we did to "reduce our carbon footprint" has been especially rewarding: We filled out a "Green Up" card a couple of years ago and sent it to the National Grid (our electric company). The Green Up card instructs the electric company to purchase electricity from clean sources. We pay 8% or 10% more for our electricity, but that electricity is supporting the development of wind turbines, landfill gas methane-to-electricity systems, solar panels, and hydroelectric generators. (The premium we pay is tax deductible.)

Green Up is so easy! And there's a big community bonus: After 2,000 residential and small business electricity rate payers in Worcester have "Greened Up", the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust will give the city, for starters, $100,000. That money will go to helping the City meet it's "20% Clean Energy by 2010" Climate Action Program pledge. Many of those projects will save the city money -- even at today's low fuel and electricity prices -- by reducing municipal energy usage.

Here's the invite: Don't miss Worcester's "Step It Up" Climate Action Festival on April 14, noon to 4 p.m. at Elm Park! Enjoy music from Soul Movement, Worcester County All Stars, Prairie Oysters, The Bees Knees, She's Busy and I-Rise. There will be short speeches by Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, Mayor Lukes, City Manager O'Brien and others. Come for food, exhibits, alternative transportation vehicles and a bicycle parade! And most important, bring your electric bill so you can Green Up! It's important, it's easy, and it feels good!