How do I know Oprah can change the world?

Oprah recently had a Going Green show talking about simple things a family can do to live a greener life. Now, we are by no means living a green life day to day but I am interested in what I can do in my small way to make sure we still have a planet for my son's generation to raise their children. I used to drive a Toyota Echo which averaged 35 miles a gallon. I traded it in this year for a Prius. But I'll be the first to admit that I drive my Prius through McDonalds at least once a week. I shop at the natural foods co-op but I never bring my own bag. I buy organic produce but I love a big, fat steak too. And I hate, I mean really hate, vegetables.

After watching Oprah's show, I realized that I can still do more without making major changes or really upsetting our standard of living. We're not talking about going off the grid here, just minor changes. So while doing the shopping today, I thought I'd pick up some of the products she recommended to live a little greener life. I had no idea how hard that would actually be.

Evidently, I was one of about 5 billion people who saw the show and shop at my local Target. I scoured the shelves for Seventh Generation laundry soap and found the very last bottle, hidden behind some other purple goo, damaged and sad. I bought it anyway. I couldn't find the Seventh Generation dish soap though... just a blank shelf and a sticker. On to Energy Smart lightbulbs- and yet another big hole. I found one box in the car section where I was looking for a sunshade for my car and snatched that up too. That was it, the end of my go green shopping spree. Nothing else was left. My Target looked like it probably does in the south, just after a hurricane warning. Only we were all on a mission to follow the word of Oprah.

My dad and I had a conversation the other day on this topic and he is convince that it won't make a difference what Oprah says. True changes can only come if the government and big business get on the hydrogen-powered bus and stop making excuses. I disagree. If every Target in the US and Oprah-viewing area looks like mine today, we have made a major stride in using our economic power to change the world.

All because Oprah told me to...