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Updated: 5:25 PM Apr 25, 2008
Special Report: What's Your Carbon Footprint?
We can all reduce how much we impact the earth Posted: 5:35 PM Apr 24, 2008Reporter: Lauren Zakalik Email Address: lauren.zakalik@wilx.com Special Report: What's Your Carbon Footprint? |
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Front lawns aren't the only things going green in Mason these days.
Parents like Greg and Stacey Molenda are too.
Along with their son Lucas, they're getting the ball rolling on becoming more environmentally friendly.
"I'd say we're fairly typical," Greg says.
"I'd agree," says Stacey. "We definitely try to do what we can. I wouldn't say we're perfect, but even just making a shot, doing what you can do would describe us."
Like many of their peers, the Molendas recycle. They drive sensible cars and eat organic food when they can. Their appliances are energy-efficient; their shower heads save water, too.
But even with all the steps the Molendas take to decrease their daily impact, they wonder if they're doing enough.
So we asked them to sit down and calculate their so-called "carbon footprint" by going to the Nature Conservancy's Web site.
The survey asks a host of questions-- from how much meat you eat to how many flights you take.
To their surprise, the Molendas scored better than the average Americans.
"We don't waste energy," Greg notes, "but there's more we can do to conserve."
That's not just true for the Molendas, but true for you, too.
"You don't have to do everything all the time," says Dr. Patrick Doran, director of science for the Nature Conservancy. "A lot of people think 'I have to carpool every day.' It doesn't have to be everyday. Just once a week, once every other week, everything you do really counts."
Doran says reducing our carbon footprint can mean anything from starting a compost pile-- like the one he has with his family-- to simply riding a bike.
"If I can reduce my gas costs, that's good for me. I ride my bike, I reduce my own waist line as well-- reduce two forms of waste!"
If you want to see how you measure up, go back to the main WILX web site and click on the carbon calculator link. There you'll also find tips to change your every day life to decrease your impact on the earth. You might also find yourself saving money.
"You also want to make sure you're not using more than you need to-- don't want to hog things," Greg Molenda says.
That's the idea behind it all: find out what you can do to do less, because when you're going green, less is definitely more.
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Special Report: What's Your Carbon Footprint?
