Week 1: Carbon Neutral & Our Planet

I think that the idea of aspiring to be carbon neutral is a good and worthy cause. According to Wikipedia, Carbon Neutrality “refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset.” Essentially, we would be attempting to create a balanced, self-contained, self-sustaining, living system. Certainly such efforts would reduce emissions, help with recycling efforts and cut waste on many levels.

In addition, society itself would benefit from the connections that would be made and community created from organizing individuals in various community minded projects; like neighborhoods growing their own food in shared gardens (be they urban or rural) as well as purchasing food from locally grown sources. The smaller towns and villages, and their businesses will benefit from the local, sustainable approach to commerce as well. Similarly, additional modes of public transportation (train, monorail) would need to be developed along with alternative modes of transportation (walking/hiking trails, bike trails)…which would create jobs for the areas involved. Local solutions to produce renewable energy (that don’t produce carbon dioxide) could potentially provide additional job opportunities, while creating new energy sources for the towns and cities they serve.

While the net results of such efforts are clearly win-win in terms of community building, one of the driving reasons for reducing greenhouse gases is economic: it will save money. Energy prices are constantly on the rise the world over, and this will only continue, ultimately making resources scarcer and common amenities (like air travel) harder to afford for everyone. So, it’s a no-brainer to use energy as sparingly as possible, both for the benefit of the climate and the rest of our planet’s inhabitants.