How Many Planets are You? Calculate Your Carbon Footprint.
One is figuring out what your carbon footprint is. This is a very cool link to the WWF website that allows you to take a quick and easy assessment and it tells you what your current footprint is. Ours are not impressive, since we are an American and Indian women living in London we each visit our families at least once a year- this puts us both in airplanes for 12-25 hours at least once per year...needless to say that accounts for 48% of my carbon footprint! There are no excuses...but the site gives really helpful and easy tips on how to reduce your footprint- all based on what you are willing to take on. Check it out at this link and please post us your results!!
Mine is 3.15 planets or 13.8 tonnes....disgraceful- but at least now I know and can do something about it!!
This national footprint calculator is interesting too!
What are the REAL barriers behind making individual changes to help the fight against climate change?
Well, according to a report published last week by the American Psychological Association, "Anxiety and helplessness rather than ambivalence or apathy are the biggest barriers to individuals taking action."
This is ironic because it is exactly something we tried to bring forward in the panel discussion following our film screening of The Age of Stupid a couple months ago. We discussed how overwhelmed individuals felt by it all- conflicting stories in the media, conflicting tales of what one should do- all the confusion really does leave one feeling helpless and anxious. Individuals feel it is all too far gone so whats the point, and even if they could do something what should it be and where do they start.
The article link below takes a great look at this and brings up some great points. It is short, concise, and interesting- so take a look.
Man, the BBC Sure is Thirsty!!!
This week, it has come out that the BBC is accused of spending £406,000 a year on bottled water! Well, whatever we may think of the BBC at least we know they are well hydrated...keeping those creative juices flowing.
This is both a environmental and an economic nightmare. They claim that while their Welsh offices are already using tap water, for their England and Scotch offices they need to look into the "health implications" of drinking from the tap. I have news for them, they don't need to look any further or spend any more money, THE TAP WATER IN LONDON IS SAFE! Yes, I said it folks- it is drinkable...even for BBC staff.
I get the novelty factor of having water coolers in the office- it looks nice, you feel like you are getting a perk, and lets not forget the ever popular "water cooler gossip", what office would be complete without it!!! But get your lazy bum up and fill up your mug from the tap! The environmental cost of shipping all of those bottles around the country- picking up and delivering- picking up and delivering...that is ALOT of emission and consumption of fuel.
I also get the bottled water at meetings thing. It is nice to walk into a board room and be offered a nice bottle of water, however I have to say I have been in a few board rooms and I am equally impressed by a nice cool jug of water. Or, if it is the prestige of bottles you are after, do what our university does through a company called Vivreu. They bottle tap water for us in branded recyclable glass bottles, what do you think of that for fancy?!? Okay okay, it does not solve the environmental implications completely, but it is a start... As I feel sensibility is an important part of sustainability, and the reality is BBC will not full stop discontinue use of bottled water. However, if they used a company like Vivreu for meetings and sent their employees to the taps....we would be making both and economic and environmental savings here.
The article below explains the breakdown and finding I am referring too above- really interesting!!
While I have more I want to share...I fear I have overloaded you on this entry- I promise we will get back to writing more frequently so we can give you more target entries :).
