Rally Round the Earth
I don't "work" in the environmental field; I cover it. But I seem to be experiencing the occupational hazard of taking what I learned at work and transforming that into action, or at least posturing, at home. For example, I digest a lot of material related to water conservation at my day job. At night, I don't just throw away the water left in a drinking glass--I throw it on the plants, or I take a six-minute shower, or only turn on the tap when I rinse my teeth. Do you do that, or something along those lines?
(I liked to hear what crossover lessons you have experienced.)
Those little things that each of us do ostensibly add up to something greater than ourselves. Or, at least, that's the theory. Jason Karas of Cambridge, Mass., is testing that theory with a light heart. Using a Web platform, Karas developed the Carbonrally, a site that regularly poses challenges that entail personal lifestyle changes, such as drinking tap water, using a reusable coffee cup, or choosing paperless options whenever possible. The challenges translate into lower greenhouse gas emissions measured in pounds of carbon dioxide. For each new challenge, Carbonrally reviews the science and provides an entertaining analysis linking each challenge to a CO2 value.
The "game" is free. You just need to be 13 years old to play. I can see a 13-year-old enjoying the site. Me, not so much. I'm on auto-pilot and I don't care that much for accounting, just doing. To see if you might like it, visit www.carbonrally.com. Maybe you would like to develop a home team to play….
Posted by L.K. Williams, EPonline on Aug 20, 2008