Carbon Neutral Will Make You Cool

All people have a responsibility to not let our wastes go into the atmosphere. It's not like our crap is going to disappear into space — gravity holds all of our burnt fossil fuels in the upper atmosphere. Up there, those carbon gases — especially methane — trap heat and make YOUR HOME PLANET warmer.

Now, I know that there are people who don't believe the Union of Concerned Scientists and hundreds of experts who have massive evidence that global climate change IS caused by human activity. Rather, people will choose to believe those handful of no-name junior college professors who are paid handsomely by oil companies to deny global warming and confuse the public with misinformation and half-truths.

But just because you are in denial about global warming doesn't mean you can shirk your responsibility. If you do, you are simply passing the problem on to your children (hello, doesn't anyone get that?)

Now, if you are a Christian, you especially have a responsibility to be carbon neutral. If you love God/Jesus, why would you want to harm His Creation? Wouldn't you want to protect and preserve it? Based on the number of SUVs I see in church parking lots, I don't think the conservative religious folks "get it."

The idea of going carbon neutral may seem overwhelming. You might say, "Goose, what do I do?"

What you must do is first say:

"What right do I have to send carbon emissions in the atmosphere? The stuff will go up there and likely hang there for hundreds of years. That's not fair to my children and the millions of plant and animal species that I share the Earth with."

Secondly, you must undo all your daily damage by changing your lifestyle. Here is just a sampling of tips:

• Keep the car parked! Telecommute, ride a bike, and take mass transit.
• Keep your home cold and dark. When your home is like this you start getting a feel for how your ancient ancestors lived. You get closer to nature, and yourself!
• If you rent a car or must fly in a jet, purchase carbon offsets. I'm thrilled to see companies offering this option.
• Give your yard back to nature. Lawnmowers are horrific polluters and plus many people use artificial chemicals to keep their yards green. Lose the grass and allow bushes and trees to fill your property.

Now, what most people forget is that things you buy also have a huge impact on the environment. For your bananas and fruit, some tropical forest was likely cleared for agriculture. Farms are like giant lawns — it takes dirty vehicles to till them and farmers dump lots of chemicals on them. And the THINGS you buy also have an impact — dirty diesel ships from China are constantly bringing more cheap goods to the U.S.

So, a few more tips:

• Grow a victory garden and/or buy locally grown food.
• Adopt a simple lifestyle — avoid buying things that aren't essential.
• Make what you own last longer, such as cars and appliances. Try to repair items when you can.

Now, you are probably saying, "But, Goose, we need to CONSUME to help grow the economy?"

My answer is that our "Infinite Growth" based economic model is totally self-destructive. Our capitalistic economy is completely geared toward generating quick wealth NOW with little regard for the future. It is absolutely sick.

To survive in the NEW economy, we need to slow down, chill out, and learn to live with less. You don't have to have your McMansion, flat screen TV, and SUV in the driveway. All that junk isn't going to make you happy.

Most importantly, limit your family size to TWO. If you purchase a Toyota Prius and put solar panels on your house, all your good will be offset by bringing another baby superconsumer into the world.

Every time you do something, think about the carbon that is resulting from your actions. Take up lower impact hobbies like hiking and cycling, instead four-wheeling. Go canoeing or kayaking instead of recreational boating. Visit a nearby campsite instead of Disney World.

YOU CAN DO IT, I KNOW YOU CAN!

Don't wait for your government to do something about global climate change because they move really slow. Start taking action now — on your own. If everyone made the personal decision to go carbon neutral, the world would be a better place. And, of course, advocate wherever you can. Become the squeaky wheel to politicians, religious leaders, store managers, etc... Keep spreading the word, in a nice way.

To see how your carbon emissions compared with others there are several footprint calculators on the web. Click HERE for a good calculator provided by The Nature Conservancy.