NORMAL, Ill. — Climate change. Global warming. The impending catastrophic assault on the innocent lives of cute, cuddly, polar bears.Call it what you want, it’s received a lot of attention lately.But a poll conducted earlier this month by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found global warming at the bottom of a list of 20 items Americans listed as a “top priority.” The economy, of course, grabbed the number one spot, followed by unemployment, terrorism and social security.Although many think the issue of climate change has been sensationalized by the media and advocacy groups, there’s no doubt the choices we make have a profound impact on our surroundings.According to many so-called “experts,” climate change involves a varying pattern of warming and cooling trends.Personally, I’m a bit more concerned about the cooling trends after the temperatures we had a week or two ago. I even recall hearing students utter something to the effect of, “Global warming my butt,” on the Quad several times over the past few weeks.I don’t believe our atmosphere is going to turn into a pastry oven any time soon, and I’m not sure I advocate a return to the Little House on the Prairie lifestyle, but it is our duty to protect and preserve the world we inhabit.And we can’t wait to follow Uncle Sam’s lead.With a struggling economy and an ever-increasing national deficit, our government needs to make responsible spending a top priority.With more taxpayer money going to the banks, less money will be available to start new “green” initiatives. Therefore, it’s our job to be conscientious consumers by making the daily decisions (i.e. recycling) that make a difference.When the integrity of an issue is in question, look no further than its poster boy. As much as Al Gore has done to increase awareness about global warming, he has probably caused a good number of people to turn a blind eye to the issue altogether.Sure, he’s got a Nobel Prize, but Gore falls somewhere between Tony the Tiger and the Freecreditreport.com guy on my list of image characters I would go to for advice Gore has been selling his position on climate change for years, but as a whole, it seems we aren’t buying it.A number of Americans have the perception that “saving the planet” should be left up to a marginalized segment of society known as the “tree huggers,” a fantastical group of leathery-skinned botanists with unkempt hair and an inexplicable phobia of the fellow man.I’ll give you that some of the planet’s staunchest defenders haven’t done much to help out their cause.I’m mostly referring to the group of New York college students who made news a few days before Halloween last year when they decided to protest global warming on a day with freezing cold temperatures. That’s called a poor decision in my book.And in February of 2007, a   hearing in the House of Representatives on the warming of the planet was cancelled due to a snow storm. Sometimes you have to appreciate irony.It’s pretty unlikely the scientists and environmental gurus will ever reach a consensus as to the exact cause of global warming, or what it means for future generations.But with the planet’s population at 6.7 billion and growing (according to the U.S. Census Bureau Web site, 250 people were born in the time it took me to click the ‘refresh’ button), our impact on the planet is undeniable.So whether it means using public transit or tossing an empty bottle in the blue bins, we have the responsibility of looking out for our home.–Contact The Editorial Board at [email protected]