WriterByNature.com

I was inspired by Seth Zuckerman’s efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions.

Americans tend to live a high carb life when it comes to our driving habits, our use of electricity and a number of other seemingly normal daily habits. But when you think about how we live compared to the rest of the world, it’s easy to see how wasteful we are. I find it humbling and a bit embarrassing.

Americans produce 122 pounds of carbon dioxide per person per day - YIKES!

By comparison citizens in most other developed nations produce about 24 pounds of carbon dioxide per person per day. Get way out into the back country and folks live in a way that produces 9 pounds of carbon dioxide per person per day.

Why is this important?

Despite political and other agendas, the scientific data is overwhelming: we are destroying the planet that supports our life.

Between Zuckerman’s experiment and my continued reading of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, there is no question that a few corporate entities make money in the short term, but most of the rest of us suffer. By squeezing extra profits from crowded corn fields or cattle pens, we have disrupted ecosystems, created toxic fare that compromises the health of our children and traded convenience for accountability.

So what’s the answer? For me, it begins with mindfulness. Can I walk instead of drive to my destination? If I am driving, how many things can I accomplish in one round trip? What about my choice of vehicle? I had to giggle, reading Joel Salatin’s comment in You Can Farm, “We [Salatin family] have never owned a car manufactured in the current decade.” Neither have I.

Can I walk my talk? Vote with my pocketbook? Find a way to use my resources to live off the grid while maintaining a paperless online office? I’m working on it.

I live 5.8 miles from the nearest hiking trail, 2.5 miles from the library, one mile in the opposite direction from the US Post Office, a quarter mile from retail shopping for basic necessities and 15 miles from a decent health food store. I probably drive my 1992 Corolla 75-100 miles a week. I have actually gone two days in a row without getting into the car.

I live in a 600 square foot apartment, have compact fluorescent bulbs in all fixtures, except one which needs a tiny bulb (hopefully the holiday season will provide the solution) and a three-way lamp. I do leave my computer on all day - but I am working on and off during the day.

I eat out less than six times a year. Most of the electronics in my house are more than three years old.

I’m guessing I fall into the 24 pounds per day category - but I’ll have to find a way to measure it. That’s not egregious, but still far short of my goal.

For now, I am blessed to have choice in where I live and what I do for my living. As I begin reading Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat, I may find opportunities to get closer to my personal goals of sustainable living that were not even possible just a few years ago.