Carbon dating
Filed Under Going Green, Tips & Tricks | July 18, 2007
If this summer weather hasn’t convinced you that the climate’s changing, than nothing will. And summer holidays bring summer travel and summer travel whether by plane or car burns fuel, but surely you can’t be expected to remain homebound just to limit the size of your carbon footprint? We’ve got some great ways to neutralize some of that green guilt you’re feeling.
A few intrepid professors at UBC have started Offsetters.com, a non-profit company that allows you to purchase carbon offsets from reputable sources that counteract the emissions from air travel. They’ve also partnered with WestJet to make it even easier. When you book your flights on WestJet using the link from the Offsetters site, WestJet will pay for your carbon offsets.
As for driving, check out their other site, CoolDrivePass. Just plug in the make and model of your car and the number of kilometers you drive in a year, and they’ll calculate how much it will cost you to reduce the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide your car emits each year from the atmosphere. Okay, a CoolDrivePass won’t magically turn your car into a hybrid – and they have some interesting points to make about hybrids on their site too – but it will make you a more sustainable driver for less than $100 a year (for most car models).
Both websites are full of easy-to-digest info on how they make it all happen, plus check out the TreeHugger site which has an unbiased take on the whole carbon credits issue. Offsetting your output compensates for the greenhouse gases you can’t help from adding to the Earth’s atmosphere, but here are a just few ideas for small steps towards actually reducing your output: drive less; compost your household waste; eat at least one meat-free meal a week; turn off electrical items when not in use; and use compact fluorescents or LED light bulbs.
Offsetters: www.offsetters.com
CoolDrivePass: www.cooldrivepass.com
July’s big share: We’re modeling such good sharing that we can’t understand why our kids have so much trouble with it. When you sign up for yoyomama in July you’ll be entered to win a $200 gift certificate from Natural Pod, a great local online source for natural items that meet all your kid’s needs from teething to playtime.
Me too! Already a subscriber? Don’t worry, we’re not leaving you out. Every time you use the forward feature at the bottom of your daily email to share yoyomama with a friend, you’ll be entered in our contest too.
The littlest ones we know would love to walk around and drag Natural Pod’s Elephant on Wheels Pull Toy behind them.
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