I haven’t written in a while. I have been traveling for vacation and work.
Carbon footprints are a way to look at your lifestyle and to see how much you are destroying the earth. Scare tactics don’t always work. Just look at the history of Christians using scare tactics during Halloween. Likewise, in being “more green”, you don’t always see the benefits and in many cases end up spending more money to buy healthy food, fair-trade items, time, etcetera. In a recent article in the fashion and style section of the NY Times I came across “A More Flattering Shade of Green”, an article that talks not about the negative effects of humans on the environment, but what we can do positively to help it. The article is interesting as you see a mother trying to get her reluctant and skeptical family to be more environmentally friendly. The author of the article, Michelle Slatalla, recommends the site Carbonrally.com. The site has challenges to be more green. The challenges can be done individually or someone can create or join a team to challenge others in the goal to become more green. The goals are moderately low and do not turn an average person or family’s life upside-down.
The benefits of this idea are easily seen. First, it uses positive reinforcement to encourage people to be green instead of negative abuse. Second, it encourages you to not do it alone, but indeed start a ‘team.’ Third, it uses small steps to improve. If the challenges were too big or hard for people to do or change their life style they would be too discouraged to do it or to continue. This encourages people to start small and eventually be able to accomplish bigger challenges. Some examples of the challenges are to print and use less paper at work, or to drive 5 mph less when driving (on the highway).
Take a look at the website and see if you are up to the challenge.
NY Times: A More Flattering Shade of Green
Catalog Choice - Choose to have less
Carbon footprints are a way to look at your lifestyle and to see how much you are destroying the earth. Scare tactics don’t always work. Just look at the history of Christians using scare tactics during Halloween. Likewise, in being “more green”, you don’t always see the benefits and in many cases end up spending more money to buy healthy food, fair-trade items, time, etcetera. In a recent article in the fashion and style section of the NY Times I came across “A More Flattering Shade of Green”, an article that talks not about the negative effects of humans on the environment, but what we can do positively to help it. The article is interesting as you see a mother trying to get her reluctant and skeptical family to be more environmentally friendly. The author of the article, Michelle Slatalla, recommends the site Carbonrally.com. The site has challenges to be more green. The challenges can be done individually or someone can create or join a team to challenge others in the goal to become more green. The goals are moderately low and do not turn an average person or family’s life upside-down.
The benefits of this idea are easily seen. First, it uses positive reinforcement to encourage people to be green instead of negative abuse. Second, it encourages you to not do it alone, but indeed start a ‘team.’ Third, it uses small steps to improve. If the challenges were too big or hard for people to do or change their life style they would be too discouraged to do it or to continue. This encourages people to start small and eventually be able to accomplish bigger challenges. Some examples of the challenges are to print and use less paper at work, or to drive 5 mph less when driving (on the highway).
Take a look at the website and see if you are up to the challenge.
NY Times: A More Flattering Shade of Green
Catalog Choice - Choose to have less
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