Yes, officer, that's my carbon footprint

It's Earth Day 2011, for what (little) it's worth, our annual reminder that we're doing more to destroy the planet than we possibly could do to save it -- unless, of course, we accept onerous regulations and pay higher taxes (and higher prices) for the privilege of being regulated.

(That must be what Earth Day Network means when it asks us to commit "A Billion Acts of Green®" today.)

Browsing related news this morning, I saw a story on 24/7 Wall St. about the "environmental friendliness" of each U.S. state. Tiny, non-industrial Vermont took top honors as the "most green" [sic] state.

And the "least green" state? Ohio.

The ranking doesn't move this Buckeye one way or another. What 24/7 Wall St. calls "analysis" is nothing more than statistical goulash, and I can't help but notice that four of five bordering states -- Indiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky -- join Ohio in the bottom ten.

Here in the old Rust Belt, my neighbors and I don't feel too terribly guilty about that. We don't consider ourselves backward or somehow inferior, either, even though a bunch of pointy-headed New York journalists say we are.

Y'all go and have your big ol' Earth Day party without us, 'cause we've got a whole mess of irons in the fire right now -- like keepin' our jobs, payin' our taxes and pretty much just tryin' to stay afloat.