It's preventable...

by Chuck Russell
(Camp Hill, PA)

Design your own footprint

Design your own footprint

Just a small change in our daily habits can reduce the average home's carbon footprint by 15%.

That's quite a large amount if multiplied by the 150,000,000 residences in the US.

Barry's Response - What's preventable? Reduction is good, Chuck. Prevention seems undefined, still.

Below are a few common methods

  • Anything but the car (walk bike etc)
  • Think globally shop locally - a hundred miles or less if possible
  • Go veg
  • Remember your three R's
  • Keep that car in good shape if you really need it
  • All errands in one trip
  • CFL's, LED's
  • Discover painting with latex
  • Push for environmental laws and corporate policies
  • Support green foundations (e.g., GreenPeace)
  • Insulation, caulking and such
  • Get a smaller, newer car
  • ...or a hybrid
  • Kill the lights
  • 78's cool enough in summer, 68's warm enough in winter
  • Tap water will do
  • Shop online
  • Power save yer computer
  • Energy-Star appliances
  • Compost
  • Buy environmentally correct
  • Clean cleaners
  • Solar Panels
  • Microwave
  • Rain Barrels
  • Donate stuff
  • Buy at thrift stores
  • Refillable ink cartridges
  • Form a green committee at work
  • Include environment in your mission statement
  • Reusable & renewable stuff at the office
  • Car pool
  • Outreach
  • Get clients 'n suppliers into the game
Howz that for starters?

Millions of small changes add up. Instead of just ticking boxes, let's explain why and how, because I think people deserve to know what their choices mean.

In a nutshell, climate science


Since the Industrial Revolution, we've seemingly added extra layers to the atmosphere, mostly CO2 and methane from burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and large-scale agriculture. As global temperatures have risen, satellite data and ice core samples show these gases have increased sharply.

Earth's climate follows natural cycles: solar cycles, volcanic activity, even wobbles in Earth's orbit (those Milankovitch cycles). Ecosystems and economies are stressed because this current warming might be happening faster than any known natural shift.

When countries and industries emit so much, why focus on individual footprints? Well,through energy use, transportation, and consumption choices, personal actions reduce direct emissions. When millions buy greener products, demand corporate accountability, and vote for climate policy, markets are driven by consumers.

Economic$


Switching isn't free when it comes to costs. Renewable energy, efficiency improvements, and clean tech not only slash emissions, but are also economically smart. It's like tuning up an old engine: upfront work, but fewer breakdowns and fuel costs down the road.

When it comes to reducing your footprint, it's less about being perfect and more about gently nudging Earth's thermostat. You don't have to live off the grid or make your own butter (unless you want to). If you walk or bike, or think farm-to-table-to-atmosphere, you'll live longer. Make a comparison between classic car pride and the climate win, and push for smart environmental laws.

At the end of the day, it's about teaming up and keeping the climate conversation practical and science-based, not about being the greenest.

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by: Anonymous

I agree with this article. If we decided to change all of our habits. Everyone in the world. I think there would be a big change. Very interesting concept.

From Barry - You said something really powerful. Thanks for sharing. Everyone can make a difference together: collective momentum is one of the most overlooked forces in climate change.

Everyone on the planet changing their habits would have a huge impact. Even though we can't flip a switch overnight, change often happens like ripples in a pond, or smoke shooting into the air. One person's shift affects a neighbor, a community, a company, a policy. Habits add up. Things change.

You're backed by science. Changing emissions, land use, or even energy efficiency can help stabilize climate feedback loops (like polar ice melt or rainforest degradation) that seem unstoppable.

Think of it like dominoes. Choosing renewable energy, reducing waste, and supporting greener businesses all tip one domino, which topples another.

What's the deal? Make change feel doable, not scary. Greener products and smarter tech help, but so does a culture of support. Let's rewrite the planet's story together.

Human shifts often lead to big systemic ones. Thanks for reminding us. Let's tip some dominoes!

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Thank you to my research and writing assistants, ChatGPT and WordTune, as well as Wombo and others for the images.

GPT-4, OpenAI's large-scale language generation model (and others provided by Google and Meta), helped generate this text.  As soon as draft language is generated, the author reviews, edits, and revises it to their own liking and is responsible for the content.