CARBON FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND
I've been thinking a lot lately about my carbon footprint. What can I do to be a better steward of this land that God has let me live in?
I recycle.
I grew up with a mom that recycled before recycling was cool.
I was powerfully impacted by the commercial of the Native American Indian chief standing next to the busy highway looking at all the trash. I remember crying with him as that one, lone tear rolled down his cheek. http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12047196
I've really been trying very hard to throw whatever I can into my recycling bins. As I type this, my two little bins are overflowing with items ready to head out in Thursday's trash and recycling day.
Today, I got onto the Nature Conservancy's website and calculated my carbon footprint. http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/
Yikes! I'm leaving a whopper of a footprint. A lot of that has to do with the vehicle I'm driving, but that can't change for a while. So, I've got to look at other ways of making sure I'm investing in the future of my world.
For instance, did you know that by unplugging appliances that you don't use all the time, you're saving yourself a ton in energy costs?
I should be eating more locally grown produce, and I could be consuming products that aren't pre-packaged. Do I really need to put every ounce of produce in a plastic bag? And if I do, am I recycling those plastic bags?
I can be replacing all light bulbs with more energy efficient bulbs, and I should be researching ways to dispose of those newer, more energy efficient bulbs so they, too, don't find their way to the landfill.
I could strive to be more paperless here at home. I use a ton of paper, and while I recycle it all, I could still keep the use down to a bare minimum, if at all.
There are tons of other ideas out there, and I plan to look at each one of them.
My goal is to make my carbon footprint less like Big Foot and more like a newborn's print.
Here's to being green in 2009!
I recycle.
I grew up with a mom that recycled before recycling was cool.
I was powerfully impacted by the commercial of the Native American Indian chief standing next to the busy highway looking at all the trash. I remember crying with him as that one, lone tear rolled down his cheek. http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12047196
I've really been trying very hard to throw whatever I can into my recycling bins. As I type this, my two little bins are overflowing with items ready to head out in Thursday's trash and recycling day.
Today, I got onto the Nature Conservancy's website and calculated my carbon footprint. http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/
Yikes! I'm leaving a whopper of a footprint. A lot of that has to do with the vehicle I'm driving, but that can't change for a while. So, I've got to look at other ways of making sure I'm investing in the future of my world.
For instance, did you know that by unplugging appliances that you don't use all the time, you're saving yourself a ton in energy costs?
I should be eating more locally grown produce, and I could be consuming products that aren't pre-packaged. Do I really need to put every ounce of produce in a plastic bag? And if I do, am I recycling those plastic bags?
I can be replacing all light bulbs with more energy efficient bulbs, and I should be researching ways to dispose of those newer, more energy efficient bulbs so they, too, don't find their way to the landfill.
I could strive to be more paperless here at home. I use a ton of paper, and while I recycle it all, I could still keep the use down to a bare minimum, if at all.
There are tons of other ideas out there, and I plan to look at each one of them.
My goal is to make my carbon footprint less like Big Foot and more like a newborn's print.
Here's to being green in 2009!
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