| Your kids worry about polar bears drowning in the | | | | emissions each year by eating - even more than the |
| arctic; you've seen the news of reduced snow | | | | 2.3 tons each of us produces by driving (assuming 2 |
| packs, food shortages and prolonged droughts; | | | | persons per mid-sized car)! Our choices at the |
| images of starving children in Haiti haunt you as you | | | | supermarket (or farmer's market) really do affect |
| fill your ravenous SUV at the pump. In the past few | | | | the health of our planet. Suggestions for a Low |
| years, global warming has morphed from | | | | Carbon diet: |
| controversial theory to heart-wrenching reality, | | | | - Buy locally grown and produced food whenever |
| leaving each of us shaken and asking, "What can I do | | | | possible. Transportation of food products from |
| to help?" | | | | abroad or trucked across our country is the main |
| The good news is - solving the climate crisis depends | | | | reason our food carbon footprint is so high. Say No |
| as much on changing our personal habits and lifestyles | | | | to bottles of water imported from Fiji or France and |
| as it does on innovations in industry and political will. | | | | get in the habit of drinking from your tap, which is |
| We all have a critical role to play. | | | | often of higher quality. |
| So, where do we start? Guilty of producing 21% of | | | | - Avoid excessive packaging - especially with |
| the world's carbon emissions with only 5% of its | | | | non-degradable petroleum-based plastics ( those |
| population, we Americans need to seriously rethink | | | | water bottles again). |
| how we live our daily lives. Here are a few changes | | | | - Buy organic products to support earth-friendly and |
| we can make in three areas - transportation, food | | | | sustainable farming, and to get the most nutrients |
| and housing - to start reducing our super-sized carbon | | | | from your food. |
| footprints. | | | | Our Homes: |
| Transportation: | | | | And now for the whopper. The average home in the |
| Trade in your gas guzzler for a more fuel-efficient | | | | U.S. produces around 6 tons of CO2 emissions each |
| car. Options to consider: | | | | year! Clearly we need to make some changes and |
| New Cars: | | | | green our homes. Here's how: |
| - Hybrids (self-recharging battery and gas with up to | | | | - If possible, invest in alternative energy generation |
| 50 MPG) | | | | with a wind turbine or solar panels which could supply |
| - Plug-In Hybrids (can get up to 100 MPG for trips | | | | much of the average family home's energy needs |
| under 30 miles) | | | | and even generate credit from the power company |
| - Electric (small cars for errands- 67% est. cost | | | | for the excess energy your home sends out into the |
| savings) | | | | grid. |
| - Hydrogen Cell (now used in fleets, available to public | | | | - Seal all doors and windows to reduce air loss (think |
| in 2010; 40% cleaner emissions with 50% operation | | | | energy loss) from 25% to only 4%. |
| savings) | | | | - Invest in energy-efficient appliances including HVAC |
| Flex-Fuels: | | | | equipment. |
| - Switch from diesel (already 30% better MPG than | | | | - Only run full loads of dishes and laundry. |
| gas, but polluting) to biodiesel for 78% cleaner | | | | - Keep the thermostat no lower than 68 degrees in |
| emissions. No conversion necessary in cars after | | | | the summer and no higher than 76 degrees in winter. |
| 1994. Diesel can also be replaced with local | | | | - Replace all incandescent bulbs with compact |
| restaurants' recycled and cheap cooking oil. | | | | fluorescent lights (CFLs) which save 75% energy and |
| - Convert or buy new ethanol-friendly car to use | | | | last 10 times longer. |
| ethanol-gas blend up to 85% - E85 to reduce oil | | | | - Use lights sparingly. |
| dependency | | | | - Invest in a home automation system to |
| Downsize: | | | | automatically turn down the thermostat and water |
| - Use a fuel-efficient scooter for fair weather errands | | | | heater at night and when you're not at home, turn |
| (up to 100 MPG) | | | | lights off as you leave the room, close or open |
| - Park your car and take public transit - light rail, | | | | shades depending on the heat, and regulate water |
| subway or bus | | | | use with automatic sprinklers. (Typical energy savings |
| - Car pool with co-workers | | | | from HA systems is 25 -30%). |
| - Ride a bike and forget going to the gym | | | | The time has come to stop worrying and feeling |
| - Walk or skate | | | | guilty about the health of our planet and start taking |
| Food: | | | | action. The polar bears will thank us. |
| The average American creates 2.8 tons of CO2 | | | | |