Tuesday, September 22, 2009

EASY PEASY: 10:10



10:10. Reduce your personal carbon emissions 10 percent in 2010.

Kaye Johnston, one of my students (well, truth be told, she's so much more than that; she's also the sustainability officer for University of Missouri's Kansas City campus) emailed me this morning after being inspired by the simplicity of 10:10, how doable it really is!

I went straight to the links she provided me, and was similarly impressed. Ok, I was not sure about giving up my airplane rides to see my daughters (really, we're going to have to rethink this thing about letting kids move away from home), but then I realized, the train runs right to Daughter Number Two in Flagstaff. A bit more problematic re: Daughter Number One, but I'll bet there are buses. If only they'd let me bring my dogs aboard. I guess, if I must motor trip it, I can buy carbon offset credits too, at www.carbonfund.org.

Honestly, though, these ideas are pretty simple and do-able. They just take a little conscienciousness. The website has a downloadable print-out you can put up on your fridge or bathroom mirror, and separate lists of emissions-cutting suggestions for People, Businesses, Education and Organizations. Let's not wait until it's too late. Let's make 2010 the year we reduce our carbon emissions 10 percent.

Here's the link: http://www.1010uk.org/





2 comments:

  1. Sandy,
    You don't have to elimate all flights just 10%. You could purchase carbon offsets on the rest. Not to discourage alternative travel, but those can be offset too.

    This is what really jazzes me about it. Anyone can do 10%...really!

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  2. Maybe I read it too fast, but I thought it suggested limiting ourselves to a single flight a year, and taking the train, etc, instead. Maybe it's reducing ourselves by one flight a year. I will return and re-read!

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