In observing the Earth Day celebration this year, I decided that it's time that I take a personal stake in the global movement to reducing the human activity's impact on the health of the planet. Before you judge me and ask why I didn't start sooner, I just want to say that I have take some measures already. Consider this a pledge to do more.
To reduce your impact on the environment, you need to acknowledge the problem and your contribution to it. It is like an alcoholic trying to quit drinking by joining AA and dealing with the drinking problem head on. It is the first step in the right direction. In my case, the first step was to calculate my carbon foot print (actually it take into account the entire family) which I did thru the EarthLab website. It was quite sobering to see my ECP score and carbon output. Although it's slightly better than the average in California, a relatively green state, I know I can do more.
We (you and I) can all help make this world a better place, by taking steps to reducing our carbon footprint. Along the way, you may end up saving some money and feeling better about yourself as well. My wife and I decided at the beginning of 2009 to replace the old windows in our house, with new energy efficient triple-pane windows. Such project save energy and increase the comfort during the Summer and Winter months. By chance, the government is also offering tax incentives for "green" home improvement projects. So, I'm not only helping out with the environment, but getting a tax break too.
It's doesn't take a large capital investment project to make an impact. In fact, it doesn't always make sense to replace the "old" with the "new", especially when you consider the environmental impact of manufacturing the "new", and disposing or recycling the "old". There's no single algorithm for deciding how best to contribute, but do exercise your own judgment and ask yourself "how will my decision or action impact the environment?" Of course, there are plenty of resources and online communities where you might find the answers to some of the more common questions. Below are a just a few:
