The issue: Temperatures continue to rise in the country, particularly the South.

Our position: We as citizens have more control over the problem than we think.

It is a complaint we hear every day: It&8217;s so hot outside.

We see the evidence of surging heat waves everywhere &8212; less outdoor activity, more air conditioning. Lighter clothing, darker skin tones because of the sun&8217;s unceasing rays.

The problem is pretty much inescapable, right?

Well, not really.

Global warming tends to be a favorite phrase among people when it comes to what seems like unbearable heat.

All manner of theories have been thrown around to explain why the earth is more vulnerable to the volatile power of the sun.

The favorite theory now seems to be the dependence on gas, which produces emissions that deplete the ozone.

The problem isn&8217;t necessarily as simple as hopping in the SUV and killing the earth while dropping the kids off at practice.

To put it frankly, Dallas County is one of the fattest regions in Alabama. The rates of obesity and the myriad of diseases that come with it rank near the top of a state that ranks near the top of the nation in how poorly we take care of bodies.

If someone is less inclined to take care of himself, he&8217;s not as likely to take a stroll that will save both fuel and the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

And lack of physical fitness is not the only cause.

We&8217;re in such a hurry, we forget that using the most natural form of transportation is still an option.

We&8217;re so spoiled by the luxury of four wheels, we have forgotten to rely on our own two feet.

We&8217;ve never needed our own common sense so much, and we don&8217;t even realize it.

The reason for springs that feel like summers and falls that feel like springs is not without explanation.

This is no great anomaly, no trend that will cycle itself out in a few years.

This is a problem that is more our own doing than anything else.

The power we have as the most intelligent species on this earth is to either make it better or worse.

Let&8217;s begin now making it better.