Carbon Neutral Dreams
Maybe becoming carbon neutral is dream of yours. Or is it a pipe dream?
Delta Airlines announced it will invest $1 billion to become carbon neutral. But as an airline that uses jet fuel, which obviously is not an environmental product, and that will certainly continue to need to use that fuel to do their business for the foreseeable future, what do they really mean?

Of course, they can purchase more fuel efficient planes, and use more carbon neutral products in their food service, electric luggage carts powered by battery and solar, but to become completely neutral they will have to purchase carbon offsets. And because carbon offsets can be purchased from a number of sources – from a government that is preserving wild lands, to a community project planting trees, to a remodel of a community building that will itself be made completely carbon neutral.

The impulse is valiant. The math is inexact though.

But if we want to keep our environment clean and attempt to make a positive impact on climate change even us regular citizens can do a few things to limit our carbon footprint – without having to purchase $1 billion worth of carbon offsets!

These are some surprisingly easy things you can do to limit your carbon footprint:

• Boil only the amount of water you need for your tea instead of filling the pot.
• Hang your laundry on a clothesline to dry instead of running them through the dryer.
• Turn down your heater by one degree when its cold, and your airconditioner up by two degrees when its hot.
• Spend less time in the shower – saves water and runs your water heater less time.
• Turn electrical equipment off when not in use and save on “ghost power”, that small amount of electricity that the appliance continues to pull to run the clock or keep that little ready light on.

The most important thing is to be aware and give it a try! You may even save some on your utility bills.