Take Action
We know by now that what we do in our own lives has a direct impact on the global climate and, by extension, on drinking water, food supply and quality of life around the world. But how can we make a difference?
Alison’s CROP initiative is a systematic approach to prioritizing changes – big and small -- that can drastically reduce your carbon footprint without a complete lifestyle overhaul:
Calculate: The first step in reducing your impact is to understand how much carbon you and your family produce right now. Explore these calculators to get a handle on how you stack up to your peers – and especially to people in less developed parts of the world. Use this information as a starting point for knocking your numbers down!
EarthLab Live Impact Calculator
Reduce Once you've figured out how much carbon you're emitting into the atmosphere, you can start looking for ways to cut back. Trimming your carbon footprint via simple steps like switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs, installing a programmable thermostat (or turning yours down a few degrees in the winter and up a few in the summer) can add up to a big difference. Of course, driving a hybrid car or switching to biofuels like biodiesel or E85 ethanol are smart ways to drastically reduce your footprint.
Energy Star
Alliance to Save Energy
Toyota Prius
Offset Once you've cut back as much as you can without cramping your style, it's time to look for good ways to offset the rest of your carbon emissions. Carbon credits from responsible companies like those listed here help by supporting clean technology research and development, and by supporting other important efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses.
Produce or Acquire Finally, there's the Holy Grail: Produce enough renewable power to meet all your personal energy needs. Explore options for installing solar panels on your roof, or a small windmill or tap into geothermal. Join a co-op that brews its own biodiesel. And if it's not practical to tack a wind farm or solar panels onto your urban apartment, look for ways to buy your energy from renewable sources.
Green Mountain Energy
BioWillie Biodiesel
ClimateSave
Horizon Wind Energy
VeraSun Energy Corporation
Evergreen Solar
