So check out "Consumer Consequences", a sustainability game created by American Public Media. (Warning for those in the office – it has sound).

The game allows you to personalize your character, or avatar, with options that range from wacky to classy (hence, my posh pirate). Then you make choices about factors such as where you live, how you dispose of your waste, what you eat, how much you shop, how you get around, etc. Depending on your answers, the background can change from idyllic green hills to huge shopping malls, power plants and electricity lines, as you go through the game.

Unlike the real world, you can change U.S. policies with the click of a button to make buildings efficient, support alternative energy and low-emission vehicles.

When you reach the end, you find out how many worlds would be required if everyone lived like you. Then see how you stack up to American Public Media hosts, Democrats, people with incomes over $50,000, females, etc.