How much have you contributed to the research and development of renewable energy?
How green is your life?
Have you checked your carbon footprint?
A carbon footprint is the measurement of the amount of carbon that you emit into the atmosphere per year. This comes from the use of your car, electricity, the kind of products that you buy, etc.
By knowing your carbon footprint, you will become aware and you can help reduce carbon emissions, hence save the planet a little bit!
We need to stop blaming governments, the war in Iraq, huge industries etc and start blaming ourselves!
We have damaged our environment and we have all contributed to global warming, so its up to us to make a stand. I'm not going to go through the whole global warming schpeel with you, honestly, if you don't know about it yet, then PLEASE come out of your bubble!
This is an appeal to all blogger and blog readers to please help generate awareness and also help contribute to society by individually making subtle changes to your lives.
Simple changes to our lives that can make a huge difference overall can include:
- Turning off unnecessary lights.
- Unplugging any electrical device that is not in use, this includes your cellphone chargers, etc.
- Starting a car pool, this will reduce traffic as well ;).
- Watering your lawn when the sun is not at its peak.
- Planting a tree or two.
- Using CO2 friendly products, check the labels when you buys items, the 1 second glance that it will cost you WILL make a difference.
omg my footprint is WAY bigger than i thought!!!
I seriously believe that it's the 'small' individual changes we make that makes the big changes in the world. If we all just followed a few green practices each day, that would be enough to see a difference in the state of the planet.
P.S. Good post hun!
Yup!
I'm also very concerned about the ignorance and the don't care attitude about this issue amongst South Africans. For some reason, we feel that it doesn't affect us or its someone else's problem!
I would really like to know how many South Africans have ACTUALLY planted a tree.
Admittedly, I haven't! :s
I haven't either, but then again I love in town, in a flat, so not much I can do about that. Oh well. I do leave off as many lights as I can, and I always unplug things I don't use, and only turn my geyser on a bit before I need hot water, plus I try to buy organic, and I'm vegetarian, and I try not to use too many plastic packaging things.
Again though, even though I'm not doing anything major really, I still feel that doing a little is better than doing nothing, and it's easy to incorporate a bit of green practices into my life.
You don't need to become anal about it and turn into an eco terrorist, but changing our actions is the biggest thing. Awareness without action means bugger all, it's actually doing something with our awareness that's the important thing.
Writing about these things is awesome, cos it shows peeps that it's not actually a big deal to do our bit for the planet without having to chain ourselves to trees, lol.
P.S. I saw some silly college girl on Park Road the other day walking ahead of me with her friend. She had a plastic packet thing in her hand, and casually leaned over and stuffed it into a hole in the wall by the side of Longkloof, I couldn't believe it. I just looked at her in bafflement, but clearly she just didn't give a shit. Maybe her mom didn't teach her about that kak, but sheesh - by the age of 19 or 20 you'd think people had grown some sort of brain. I should have called her on it, now that I think about it. Imagine, 'sorry chick, you dropped this!'
Then if she tried to tune me kak, I could have gone into Muaythai stance and forced her to pick it up. Hehehe ;-)
Er, while I do also love town, I LIVE in town, lol. Oops, brain not working today.
Very true about awareness without action!
And I totally agree about not being anal about the whole thing. I guess people have this notion that helping out means signing up to ride in a lil boat in front of whaling ships wearing green peace aprons!
I feel that we, bloggers and hence internet resources, should take up the responsibility a bit more and build awareness on the matter, encouraging subtle changes!
Our reach is greater than we think!
Thanks for this post love. Really appreciated it.
It is time that we change the general opinion that the climate change issue is for governments and carbon intensive industries to deal with. Wrong!
Even if China and India refuse to cut down emission standards and if the United States has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, it does not stop you from going energy-economic! You don't have to have the Green board saying "F**K BUSH" and protest outside the Coal plants...you just need to put your aircondition off, when you leave the house. And no, you don't have to stop eating meat either, you can maybe let your hair dry naturally rather than use a hair dryer everyday ;-)
I hope you write on this one babes! Remember? My house maybe under water before you visit me :-)
xx