Sunday, June 1, 2008

Find Your Carbon Footprint

Our family is already eco-conscious, but I couldn't resist picking up Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach from my local library (it was on the New Release shelf and I'm a sucker for New Releases). I read it in one day, not because the book was interesting, but because it was a slim read (only 159 pages).

Bach's advice is solid, but not earth-shattering. A lot of the advice Bach doles out in GGLR is common sense stuff like reducing your Litter Factor by recycling, taking public transit instead of driving, or turning off the tap while brushing your teeth. We all know this stuff.

But, there are some cool websites to which Bach directs readers like Earth Lab's Carbon Calculator, where you can estimate your own carbon footprint (I scored a 11.9, much lower the national average of 15.2 but still not all that great). At the EL site, you can make an Earth Conservation Plan (ECP) and pledge to change habits related to home, energy, commute, travel, work, and lifestyle.

Of course, the only person to whom you are accountable is yourself but making a pledge is still fun and proactive. If you need more motivation or just want some friendly competition to keep you on track, then head over to Crunchy's place and sign up for a challenge.

2 comments:

EatPlayLove said...

Hey, no swiping books from my favorite section..I always stop at the new books, it's a great little find!

So if you ever see me at MD Library, will you say hello?!

LawSchoolMom said...

Of course!