Grayjay said:
Good thread. Hiking is modern recreation, and just because it has to do with nature, doesn't make commuting to a mountain different from commuting on Rt 128 on a weekday morning
Yes, Yes, Yes! This statement is HUGELY relevant for our kind! I think too many of us outdoorsy folks thing we are already environmentalists and that we are already doing our part and that the talk of the day is geared for the poor slobs coming out of Wal-mart that can't help themselves from buying all the crap that marketing sells to them, while they unload their ATVs from the back of their 16 mpg pickups, so they can erode the soil [see how I just perpetuated the US vs. THEM debate by rolling it all into one evil other person?]
I'm having a personal battle with lowering my footprint:
1. A year or so ago, I sold my truck and bought a Subaru (16 to 25 MPG - not that great a difference, unfortunately). Recognizing that 25 MPG is still a lot more than zero G, this past fall and winter I started riding the bus. Between waiting at the stop and having to make one change, my 23 minute drive (each way) went to an 85 minute ordeal, adding a total of about 2 hours to my day. I lasted about six weeks before I gave up and went back to driving my car each day. For a few years I had a great carpool partner. We had very similar schedules and live within .5 mile of each other. He moved away and I've yet to find another good partner. But I'm looking.
2. This past fall Joanna and I decided to insulate our house. We had run some economical analyses and decided it was hard to justify at this stage in our lives when the chances of us being here long enough to "pay it back" were slim to none. Well, we decided to bite the bullet and do it anyway. I just finished the first winter analyses, corrected for degree days and we reduced our oil consumption by 41%! It will now take just over 4 years to pay for itself, not including the return that will come from increased house value when we sell.
3. I've used several of the online carbon footprint calculators and something I've realized is that all the recycling in the world doesn't put a dent in a couple of airline trips per year. I fly a modest number of times each year compare to many folks but those flights really counteract everything else I do to try to avoid consumption. I've done a bit of web-based conferencing and have used Skype for a host of meetings, but I think we all recognize it isn't the same as meeting in person. We need to invest in technologies to improve our distance communications skills.
4. Awareness will make a difference. I'm astonished how much new talk there is about climate change and the need to do something to adjust. In the past year, the awareness of the general public has become very impressive. I'll wager that NPR will get a very important, national, or international award for their year-long series on climate change. They've done a great job of getting the word out about the entire breadth of the subject. Now we just need the Fox News types and other useless media to get on board. Just the fact that Solitary brought this up is impressive and it hasn't been the first CC-related thread.
So, go out, calculate your impact and figure out where you can reduce impact. DO NOT THINK YOU ARE ALREADY DOING YOUR PART b/c you aren't. We may be doing small things here and there but we have barely scraped the service of the lifestyle changes we need to foster. You know how people say that diets don't work - that you really need to change your lifestyle. Well, that applies here, too.
P.S. - Don't blame it on the developing nations. They are merely following our example. We need to set a new example where reduction is appealing. We have a lot more room to adjust/counteract/improve the footprint than the developing world. If you believe the developing nations are responsible for CC problems, you are perpetuating a consumption ethic and I don't want you in my carpool.
Nature Conservancy Calculator - Do it now!
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