As early as tomorrow, the U.S. House of Representatives could vote on a cap-and-trade bill designed to reduce the impact of harmful greenhouse gases. And while most Americans are in favor of greenhouse gas regulation, not as many want to foot the bill.

The cap-and-trade bill introduced by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif) and Edward Markey (D-Mass) would set a limit on the U.S.’s greenhouse gas emissions while issuing or auctioning greenhouse gas “allowances” that can be bought and sold by people, companies or agencies as needed. Essentially, the bill would make greenhouse gas emitters pay for excessive emissions while providing encouragement for development of alternative energy sources. That extra cost could be passed along to consumers, with the prices of goods and energy potentially going up in price.

A Washington Post-ABC poll showed that 75% of Americans want greenhouse gas regulation, but while that support crosses party lines, it tends to divide by age, with younger Americans more in favor of regulation and cap-and-trade. It also divides by household income, as those who make less money are less inclined to support legislation that could raise prices on necessary goods and services (current estimates say cap-and-trade could cost the average household $175 more per year in 2020). Right now, 62 percent of Americans support regulation even if it raises the cost of goods and services, but that number drops to 56 percent when asked if they would support a $10 increase in utility costs. Still, that’s more than half of Americans willing to pay a little more out of pocket in order to reduce the output of harmful greenhouse gas emissions; that’s a very positive message to those who support “going green” and reducing our carbon footprint.

Some opponents of regulation are opposed simply on principle, believing that the government should not be regulating businesses. Others are opposed because they deny global warming, despite the overwhelming evidence across the scientific community. But in general, the public supports regulation even with the potential costs, and the bill’s sponsors are hoping to get a vote on the legislation before the July 4 holiday. Even President Obama is on board with the bill, saying that it will create jobs in renewable energy technology and help us protect the planet for our children. Sounds like a win-win to us.

Want to do your part to save the planet, cut energy use and go green? Cut down on your junk mail! The average household gets 41 pounds of junk mail a year, and the production and disposal of America’s junk mail uses more energy than 3 million cars! Sign up for the Privacy Council’s List Removal Service and stop getting the junk mail that wastes our energy resources and ends up in our landfills. Do you part today!

Yesterday, Congress approved the “Cash for Clunkers” program, H.R. 2346. All that remains is for President Obama to sign the bill into law, which he is expected to do. With this bill, according to Reuters, people who drive cars with poor fuel economy have the chance to trade them in for vouchers of $3,500 to $4,500, depending on the gas mileage they get.

The one slight catch: the money can’t be used for just anything. It must be used to buy a new, more fuel-efficient car at a participating dealer, which will have the dual effect of reducing auto emissions across the country and stimulating the struggling car companies. You might call it a win-win, for both the economy and the environment.

The program is expected to start in early August, implemented by the Department of Transportation. Not everyone agrees with the Cash for Clunkers idea, but as the Sacramento Scoop notes, whether you agree or disagree with the bill, Congress is spending a billion dollars on it in an effort to help families, car companies and the planet with one stroke. With any luck, the motivation to trade in old cars for fuel-efficient models will be helpful to those struggling with the rising cost of gas. As the National Automobile Dealers Association noted here, “With more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road, it will also help reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. A spike in new car and truck sales will also help communities that rely on the revenue from vehicle sales taxes and other fees to fill their budget shortfalls.”

Specifics about the Cash for Clunkers program, including a list of qualifying dealers and a chart describing the requirements for trade-in vehicles, can be found at cashforclunkersfacts.com.

And if doing something for the environment appeals to you (but you don’t have an old clunker to trade in), think about signing up for the Privacy Council’s list removal service! You’ll get less junk mail and fewer telemarketing calls, which means less paper in landfills and less stress for you. Sign up today!

Today’s the day: The long-awaited day, at least in broadcast circles. Today, TV goes completely digital.

If you watch any TV at all, you probably already know the details about this transition, but just in case you missed the news, here’s the deal. Today, TVs that receive an analog signal (those that use rabbit ears or antennae to get a signal) will no longer work. If you have a TV in your basement, guest room, etc. that uses rabbit ears and you try to tune in “The Price Is Right” today, you won’t be able to watch. If you have any form of cable or satellite (Charter, Time Warner, Direct TV, etc), you’ll probably be fine. Your TV will still work, although this NPR article notes that some of the analog cable channels will be taken back in order to make room for other services, so some cable customers might notice a few channels disappearing. Still, households that rely entirely on antennae are the ones who need to act right now.

If you use an antenna for your TV signal, there’s still a way to keep your reception: You need a digital converter box. They cost around $45, but the government is offering $40 coupons to be applied toward the cost. Each household can apply for up to two coupons at this coupon program site.

The original digital switch date was four months ago, but the administration pushed the date back in order to give people more time to get the needed equipment after the funding ran out for the converter box vouchers. The airwaves have been bombarded with news and updates about the coming switch, but even with that effort, experts estimate that there are still one million households not ready for the transition. This Associated Press article on Pilot Online notes that many people still do not understand the details of the digital switch, although the article also mentions that the public is far better prepared now for the transition than it was four months ago.

The date will not be pushed back any further, so hold-outs need to get their converter boxes or risk missing the Showcase Showdown. People with additional questions can visit dtvanswers.com to learn more.

For anyone who worries that the new converter boxes and the lack of analog broadcasting somehow means a reduction in personal privacy or security, fear not. The converter boxes are not a way for “Big Brother” to keep tabs on you, nor are they a way to control what you see and hear. A video that went viral a few months ago allegedly showed a man opening up his converter box to show a camera and microphone inside, but the video turned out to be a hoax. Of course, any widespread mandatory action such as this will spark conspiracy theories and tinfoil hats among the most skeptical of the population, but there’s no reason to worry this time around. Save the panic for the next flu strain.

Of course, if you DO want to protect your privacy, sign up for the Privacy Council’s list removal service. The service removes you from marketing lists (which send you junk mail) and puts you on the no-call lists (which means fewer telemarketing calls). Sign up today to start cutting down on these annoyances in your life!

Now there’s yet another reason to stay off the phone (and discourage those telemarketing calls): Cell phone elbow.

According to sources like U.S. News and World Report, cell phone elbow is described as a nerve condition that affects “high tech talkers.” People who spend long periods of time holding a cell phone to their ears, their arms bent at more than a 90 degree angle, are choking the blood supply to the ulnar nerve, a nerve in the arm that runs from the collar bone to the pinky and ring fingers. Eventually, the fingers get tingly, painful or numb. Compressing this nerve for long periods can lead to hand and forearm issues, including cubital tunnel syndrome (similar to carpal tunnel syndrome), with the worst case being loss of hand strength (the J-Walk Blog mentions that sufferers have trouble opening jars and playing musical instruments, among other challenges).

How can we prevent cell phone elbow? For starters, use a headset instead of holding the phone. If you must use your hands, switch hands frequently to allow your arms to relax and get back to normal. If you ignore the pain and tingling for too long, it could eventually require surgery and physical therapy to decompress the nerve, so listen to your body; if your pinky is feeling the pinch, put down the cell phone. After all, as Lifehacker wonders, how can we make cell phones less of a pain on our bodies? For now, the handsets aren’t exactly conducive to our health, and the impact doesn’t stop with cell phones… When you think about it, ANY phone, including a land line, can have this effect on our arm nerves. The problem is in the design, not in the calling plan.

Of course, the best way to avoid the impact of talking on a phone is to avoid talking at all. That keeps conditions like cell phone elbow at bay and also prevents the loss of focus that talking hands-free can cause, especially while driving. It’s almost impossible to avoid talking on the phone throughout the day, so use good judgment when you talk, and try to save the phone time for important conversations.

If you’re trying to make the minutes that you DO talk on the phone count, you probably want to cut down on any telemarketing calls you get. That’s where Privacy Council can help! Sign up for our list removal service, and we’ll make sure you’re removed from all the major marketing lists and placed on the Do Not Call list. Reduce your junk mail and your unwanted phone calls with our service today!

What’s new in privacy news this week? Here comes the roundup…

Wisconsin’s No Call List: Unlike the National Do Not Call list, where you need to submit your number just once to get onto the list of numbers that telemarketers can’t call, state no-call lists aren’t necessarily in effect forever. Such is the case with Wisconsin, where the list expires every two years. According to WEAU News 13, thousands of people have dropped off the state’s list since January. Those who sign up for the free service before June can make it onto the July 1 list, so if you live in Wisconsin, call 866-9-NO-CALL or click here to get your number back on the no-call directory. Fox 11 News reports that the list is updated quarterly, so if you don’t sign up by this Sunday, it’ll be a few more months before you can make sure you’re on the list.

DMV’s Do Not Smile Policy: According to USA Today, four states have now adopted policies prohibiting smiling in your driver’s license photo. Arkansas, Indiana, Nevada and Virginia are combating identity theft and driver’s license fraud by putting this policy into place, and others might follow suit. Why the lack of mirth in the photos? The states have new, high-tech software in place that compares new license photos to old ones in an effort to stop people from assuming others’ identities. But the software doesn’t work as well if the faces in the photos have anything but a “neutral” expression… after all, we look different when we smile. Other states claim that their software works just fine with or without a smile, but the reality is that facial matching software would, by nature, be far more accurate if the faces had the same expression. So far, 31 states use some version of this technology, and in Illinois alone, the system has stopped 6,000 people from getting fraudulent licenses since 1999. So if you go to the DMV, don’t get too annoyed if they tell you not to smile… Protecting your identity and decreasing the incidences of driver’s license fraud are worth it.

Tired of junk mail in your mailbox? Want to be placed on every Do-Not-Call List possible, and keep those lists updated? Want to aid in the fight against email spam? Then sign up for the Privacy Council’s List Removal Service. A small monthly charge ensures that your name is removed from all major marketing lists, and that your name is KEPT off those lists. Sign up now!

This morning on The Today Show, I saw a hilarious story: A new website, AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com, has become a repository for strange, uncomfortable and outright funny family photos. Users submit the photos (often under the guise of “anonymous”), and viewers get a chuckle. The Today Show staff even saw fit to Photoshop a fake photo of Matt Lauer to add to the slideshow fun (watch the video linked above to see it). Blogs like this one encourage people to submit their own hilarious photos to the site in order to add to the general amusement, and overnight, AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com has become a sensation. According to this blog, the site generates 2 million viewers per DAY and is fielding offers from book publishers.

While this website is a great idea for the sake of humor, it’s also a lesson in how posting personal photos on the Internet can backfire. Even a photo that you consider to be adorable, precious or beautiful might be someone else’s laughter-inducing image, so be prepared for that if you see fit to upload. It helps if you follow these rules every single time you post a photo on the Internet, regardless of which site you’re posting it on:

1. Don’t post anything that you wouldn’t want the entire world to see. Even if you’re posting with privacy settings or “friends only” viewing in a social networking profile, you still have to assume that somehow, a photo will get out to the general public. It just happens.

2. Don’t post photos of yourself doing anything remotely illegal, immoral or questionable; even if you think it’s a good idea now, you WILL regret it. That kegstand from last weekend? Awesome for you, but if you post the photo, it’ll be out there forever, certainly long past the age when you’ll be proud of kegstands. The same, of course, goes for photos of nudity, drug use, vandalism, etc. If it’s illegal, you just gave up the evidence willingly. If it’s immoral to the bulk of the population, you just impaired your chances of becoming a huge success in life (see: politicians, heads of major corporations, etc.).

3. Don’t post anything that gives away too many details about your identity (a photo with your home address on it, a photo with your full name or the names of your kids, etc.). Prudence is best when posting images, and you don’t want an identity thief using that info against you.

4. Be willing to laugh at yourself. After all, someone else probably is, especially if the photos are at all goofy, dated, and of course, awkward.

By now, you’ve probably heard about those whole-body scanners that are being testing in some airports across the country. The scanners take a front-and-back image of travelers and penetrate through clothing to look for suspicious items, such as weapons and other contraband. The scanners are quick (15-30 seconds), they appear to be accurate, and they eliminate the need for a physical pat-down from TSA agents when travelers are taken aside for more screening.

But there’s an outcry that the scanners violate the privacy of those traveling through airports, and the complaints are getting louder. The image at right is of a woman scanned with backscatter technology; images such as this one create a fear that TSA agents sees passengers naked with this technology. The TSA counters these fears by noting that the current technology in use is called “millimeter wave” technology, and that the images produced are fuzzier and less defined than backscatter. But still, the can of worms was opened with photos like this, and now the debate rages.

Right now, six airports nationwide use the scanners in place of traditional metal detectors, while another 12 airports use them as a secondary screening techniques (for example, if someone repeatedly sets off the metal detector or is randomly selected for closer scrutiny). Advocates of the scanners note that almost everyone chosen for a pat-down will select the scanner over a TSA agent’s physical touch, and the scanners take just a fraction of the 2-4 minutes needed for a pat-down. So why the resistance to the technique?

CNN reports today that privacy advocates call the whole-body scanners an invasion of personal rights. The argument is that the TSA goes too far by essentially seeing the airport travelers naked (privacy advocates claim that any “blurriness” in images doesn’t address the underlying issue), and while the computers that manage the system don’t currently store data, there’s nothing to prevent the TSA from storing images or other information in the future. Those opposing the current system want full disclosure to passengers about what’s going on, legal wording in place to protect those scanned, and safeguards in effect to keep the TSA from storing the data or changing the technology later without telling anyone. A national campaign against whole-body scanning is launching now in the hopes of going viral and getting attention for the cause.

Up until recently, the efforts of privacy advocates seemed to be ineffective. Budget Travel’s blog looked into whole-body scanning last month, noting that, while the scanners are available in just a handful of airports so far, the TSA intends to implement them in place of metal detectors in all airports in the future. But there’s a hiccup in the TSA’s plans: Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) introduced a bill late last month to eradicate the whole-body scanners from airports. As quoted by Emergent Chaos, Chaffetz called the scanners “unnecessary to securing an airplane” and noted that there must be a balance between safety and privacy. The ACLU agrees, saying that a choice between being “groped or stripped” is not a fair choice and that “people shouldn’t be humiliated by their government” for security’s sake. Even leaving aside the privacy arguments, the financial side must be considered: the scanning machines cost $170,000 each, making the investment substantial should they be used across all airports in the U.S.

So what do you think? Are whole-body scanners necessary to protect our security in the air, or are they an unnecessary invasion of privacy? Let us know your views in the comments. And don’t forget to protect your own privacy by signing up for The Privacy Council’s List Removal Service! You’ll be removed from the major mailing lists, and you’ll get less junk mail and more peace of mind.

Today marks yet another postage increase from the U.S. Postal Service! It’s now 44 cents for a first-class stamp to mail a standard letter. I can remember when stamps were just 19 cents each, and you still had to lick them to get them to stick… those were the gummy-tongued days. Stamps are self-adhesive now, but what does this rate increase mean for you, and is the post office still a viable entity in these troubled times?

Well, for starters, first-class mail isn’t the only rate going up. Large envelopes, parcels, postcards and other types of mail are increasing in price, too. The Business Pundit blog lists a few of these increases and links to more of them.

What about those “forever” stamps? If you bought “forever” stamps (the ones with the Liberty Bell on them), you can still use them without tacking on an additional 2-cent stamp. The point of the “forever” distinction is that, no matter how high postage gets, those stamps are still usable for a standard letter. But before you start thinking that you can buy a giant pile of forever stamps and sell them for a profit when the postage rates go up again, read this post by Phil Izzo at the Wall Street Journal blog about how postage rates can’t go up faster than the rate of inflation. So even though this is the fifth postage hike since 2000, the rates aren’t actually going up that fast, and you probably can’t make any money stockpiling forever stamps at the current rate and selling them later.

How about if you just want to mail stuff? Many people have long complained about the cost and hassle of postage, and when you combine the cost with the impact that all that mailed paper has on the environment, it’s no surprise that many consumers are turning to cheaper, more environmentally-gentle methods of correspondence. Online bill pay systems eliminate the need to mail bills to the power company, phone company, etc. each month. E-cards and e-vites are a cheap, eco-friendly way to invite friends and family to special events or to send well-wishes. And of course, email has become the go-to communication method for many people because of its ease, speed and inexpensive nature. We may not be a paperless society yet, but  it’s clear that many aspects of our lives are indeed more paperless than ever.

So why have snailmail at all? A large percentage of the mail sent today is junk mail anyway, and that accounts for roughly 100 million trees cut down each year. Why not eliminate snail mail altogether? The staff at wowOwow.com posed this question, receiving some interesting responses. Some readers pointed out that 44 cents to send a letter cross-country is still a good value, and another pointed out that the etiquette of sending handwritten thank-you notes can never be supplanted by email. Perhaps the best answer, though, was this comment by the user Green Tears: “After sifting through bills, junk mail, catalogs and magazines, whose face doesn’t light up at the sight of a piece of handwritten personal correspondence?” No matter how electronic and paperless we get, the value of a piece of personal mail still matters, perhaps more so now than ever.

While postage and personal letters are here to stay, we can still do something to stop junk mail from clogging up our mailboxes and our landfills. Sign up for the Privacy Council’s list removal service to get your name taken off the major direct marketing lists. When the junk mail stops coming, the only mail you’ll get will be the kind that actually matters to you. Sign up for the service by clicking here!

Usually, we here at Privacy Council give you information about spam, scams and computer viruses that might compromise your personal privacy and the health of your computer. But in light of recent news, we’d like to devote this post to the Swine Flu and what precautions you can take to protect yourself and your family from this virus. After all, keeping your family safe from the Swine Flu isn’t that different from keeping your files safe from a computer virus: It’s all about taking precautions.

First, the stuff you already know. Swine Flu is spreading. The virus originated in Mexico and has since spread around the globe, with UPI reporting at least 148 cases worldwide and an increased alert level from the World Health Organization (up to a level 5, which is the highest it’s been since the 6-level system was put into place in 2005). Nearly 100 cases were reported in 11 U.S. states as of this morning, 51 of which are in New York. According to Bloomberg.com, the government has begun to warn of school closings and increased precautions (in Texas, several school districts are already closed, and high school sporting events have been canceled for more than 1 million students). Many deaths in Mexico are blamed on Swine Flu, though the exact number is something of a mystery. Drug companies are working on vaccines and stepping up production of antivirals, and everyone is bracing for the next announcement about how this disease is spreading. So if you weren’t taking it seriously before, it might be time to start. Like a virulent computer bug, this one spreads best via those who don’t take the right precautions to prevent it.

There are ways to protect yourself and your family from this virus. It is, after all, the flu, albeit a new and particularly brutal strain. Five to 20 percent of Americans catch the “regular” flu each year, and 36,000 Americans die from it, so while hospitalizations and deaths are expected from the Swine Flu, we can’t pretend that it’s causing the only flu-related deaths we’ve ever experienced. And since the Swine Flu spreads like the seasonal flu, hand washing, healthy living, good hygiene and a measure of caution are excellent precautions against catching it.

You know how we always remind you not to click on strange links, open files that are attached to strange emails, or give away your sensitive data to strangers? And how we encourage the use of anti-virus software to keep your files safe? That sort of common-sense behavior works the same for avoiding the flu: Don’t touch something if you don’t know where it came from or how clean it is, minimize contact with others, and keep your own hands as clean as possible.

Here are some flu-prevention tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others: Wash your hands with soap frequently, and encourage your family to do the same. Don’t shake hands with others or touch surfaces (such as desks, public phones and other communal surfaces) if you can help it. Avoid being in the proximity of anyone with a cough or sneeze, especially those who don’t bother to cover it. Cover your own coughs or sneezes with a tissue, and wash your hands after you cough or sneeze. Don’t touch your face, eyes, nose, mouth, etc. since viruses spread very easily through contact with the face. Take care of your overall health by eating right, staying active and getting enough sleep. And of course, stay home if you start feeling sick, and keep kids home from school if they start showing symptoms.  

What should you do if you DO have symptoms (which include a fever, cough, sore throat, headaches, body aches, chills, fatigue and occasionally diarrhea and vomiting)?  Stay home, get rest and drink plenty of fluids. Antivirals, available from your doctor, can help take the edge off the worst of it and help you get better faster. But if you or your kids start having difficulty breathing, or if you have confusion, dizziness or persistent vomiting, get to the hospital. This is not something to mess around with.

Be cautious, be safe, and keep washing those hands. And next time, we’ll be back to our usual tips on protecting your privacy and the environment, including signing up for the Privacy Council’s List Removal Service. You know, the one that takes you off the major marketing lists and cuts your junk mail to almost nothing… Feel free to sign up now while you’re thinking about it, and stay healthy!

Today, April 22, is Earth Day! If you want to know more about Earth Day, Wild Singapore has a great list of facts from John Roach at National Geographic, and Soropedia has some quotes that bring out the spirit of Earth Day. But the main thing is that it’s a day to remember that every little thing we do to help the environment can make a difference. It’s a day to walk or ride a bike instead of firing up the internal combustion engine. It’s a day to carry a reusable tote bag and a washable coffee mug instead of plastic bags and Styrofoam cups. And most of all, it’s a day to encourage earth-friendly behavior that extends beyond Earth Day to every other day of the year. Make a habit of being Earth-conscious!

One thing each of us can do to help the Earth is cut down on our junk mail. Did you know that 100 million trees are cut down to produce junk mail each year? That’s like cutting down every tree in the Rocky Mountain National Forest every four months. What’s worse, millions of tons of this junk mail ends up in landfills; almost half of junk mail sent is unopened, and most of it is not recycled. Aside from the trees lost and the waste generated, there’s also the energy used to produce and distribute junk mail in the first place: more than 3 million cars’ worth! Almost everything about junk mail is bad for the planet, and Earth Day is the perfect time to cut junk mail from our lives and do our part to help the Earth.

So how do you kick the junk mail habit? Sign up for the Privacy Council’s List Removal Service today and make your own contribution to the reduction of junk mail. When you sign up for the Privacy Council’s service, your name is removed from the major junk mailing lists, making your junk mail drop off and giving the Earth and your mailbox a break. Click here to get started, for Earth Day and every day!