Break your addiction to oil

Beloved readers, this was a note some time ago in a message in the Grist, a wonderful environmental newsletter, in an entry about what we can do about the oil tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico.

The immediacy of that crisis seems to have faded, but the message persists.
Under this topic were four suggestions:
1. take stock of your own carbon footprint
2. get out of your car
3. Support sustainable energy sources
4. Promote smarter transportation systems.

I'm in good shape for the first two, and hope you are too. My carbon footprint is a huge and scary thing, but I'm working on it. And in June I got serious about commuting via bus, and have used the car for work I think 3 times since then.

#3 and #4 are more challenging, at least for me. Any suggestions? Looks like a good way to flex those First Amendment rights of petitioning the government.

I would embrace suggestions.

Peace, y'all

Molly

Global Warming Cafe was yesterday

10/10/10 was yesterday, and what a day it was. More than 7000 events around the planet, and I did one right here in Richland. With a lot of help from Lora Rathbone and Lyle, Kathy C, Kathy W, and Susie O, we had a room full of people who want to cut their carbon. Many have already cut it a lot.

But I thought I was pretty green, and I have found ways to cut 10500 pounds, which is 12% of our family's total. Last year's anyway. I expect we'll fly a bit less this year, which will make our total lower than the very scarey 79000 pounds we dumped last year.

I'm filled with hope, and gratitude. This looks to be a wonderful fall season.

Peace, y'all

Molly

On cutting carbon

my office eco-team is not doing well and I don't know what I can do about it. My default communication tool is email, and maybe that's the wrong tool. Anyway, I will keep plugging away. So much to share, but --- when? more to come

Peace, y'all

Start wherever you are

That is one of the key messages I got at the low carbon diet training.

Climate change has begun. We must address it!

It will take at least 10 years to scale up renewable energies and new technologies. Conservation is available today. It's the low-hanging fruit. And when we are in a conservation mind frame, we are more inclined to embrace the new technologies that come along.

US citizens are 5% of the planet's population and use 25% of its resources. And we waste up to 75% of it through inefficiency and ignorance. Americans are a huge part of the problem--so we also can - and n
must - be big part of the solution.

We like to think we are the world's most innovative. Fine. (and no let hago and tend the garden).

Join me in reducing my carbonfootprint. I'll start where I am. Thee do likewise.

Peace, y'all

Molly

On reducing our carbon footprint

I said I would blog about it when I registered for the teletraining for the low carbon diet, so here goes.

I'm always looking for ways to build peace in the world, to make the world a better place, to form a more perfect union. A new way has opened. When one Seeks one can find. And I did.

A sweet convergence. I am my program's sustainability chair. By default, but nonetheless. The state legislature passed a law in 2008 or 2009 with specific goals for state agencies to reduce carbon and our governor charged my agency with showing other agencies how to go about it.

For Earth Day my agency rolled out a program they call 'Carbon Smart.' It has two parts -- greening our office by what we do there and how we get there. The other part is to reduce carbon at home. This hits us, so to speak, where we live.

I have a leading to lead carbon reduction teams.

More about this soon.

Carbon reduction

I am on the verge of kicking off a low-carbon diet team at my office. Wish me luck!