Well, the school district in Susquehanna Valley should be very proud! Too often, organizations decide that good stewardship is a lost cause. We see it in large organizations and small. It even happens in our own lives. What good could possibly come by doing a little bit of recycling, right? Well, here is what happens when a bunch of people work together.
“The program delivers an environmental benefit from reduced carbon footprint. Energy not used prevents the emission of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. According to EPA/EGrid figures, in the first 36 months of the program, Susquehanna Valley Central School District saved 22,550 MMBTU, the equivalent of 1,419 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions being prevented, 255 cars removed from the road, or 36,299 pine trees grown for 10 years.” NewsChannel34
Now, if more schools, businesses, households, and individuals would make similar type changes we may be able to turn the tide. I know the statistics state that we need changes on a government level, which may very well be true – but is it not just a lazy excuse to leave our lives alone?
The SV School District is making a difference and is raising awareness for their staff, administration, and students.
Here are just a few ways of reducing your carbon footprint.
- Eat Less Meat – A study at the University of Chicago shows that being an all-vegetarian cuts about 1 ton of carbon a year. Well, I can’t give up meat all together, but even just giving up meat a few days a week would make a difference. So, if 365 days of No-Meat is 1 ton, here is a breakdown of your benefit on a yearly basis by going without meat:
1 Ton = 2000 Lbs
365 days in a year, means that every day of eating meat is equal to 5.48 Lbs of Carbon / Day
1 day / week of No Meat = 52 days / year = 284 Lbs of Carbon saved.
Not too bad, right? So – see what you can do. If you have a family of 4 (average), that would be 1,136 lbs of carbon a year and likely a good amount of money too.
- Try Teleconferencing / Webinars Instead Of Flying – I know, flying is something that many of us have to do on a regular basis, but honestly – it is bad for us. Not only is the stress related to traveling increasing with the constant security changes, but the amount of damage done to the environment to move a tin-can up to 40,000 feet and back down again is insane. Not to mention all the supporting systems and their eco-cost.
With the creation of webinars and teleconferencing, so many things can be done without ever leaving your home office. So, save the money and the carbon credits!
- Consume Less Power (and consider green power too) – This can be done in a bunch of ways, from using more energy efficient heating and cooling systems, updating appliances to the EnergyStar rated devices, to using the Smart Strips, to adding on your own power supply resources (solar panels for example).
If the school district can do it, can’t we? Just take some basic steps, and you can begin making a difference today! What are the ways you are saving energy and reducing your carbon footprint each year?
