Reducing my carbon footprint?

I decided to walk to the grocery store today. (Ok, so I didnt have a choice; I moved to Washington D.C. sans cougbnd). At first I was invigorated by this new opportunity-- until I realized maybe I shouldn't have walked to the grocery store on my first time getting groceries. Oh and did I mention hungry because I hadnt eaten all day (noted ... just moved and no groceries). Therefore, I grossly overestimated my capacity for carrying groceries across the street (yet still a few blocks) home. After purchasing my food I realized I had a full cart and only my 2 legs to get me home. Clearly I wasnt considering this fact not only by the amount of groceries, but what I chose to buy including:

1. Milk
2. Silk Chocolate Milk
3. Orange Juice
4. Bolthouse Juice (large)
5. Eggs
6. Individual Watermelon

and the list goes on and on. Woops. Thankfully Miss Anna worked out my arms pretty good last week so they were nice and strong and ready for the 15 min workout to my house. I got plenty of funny looks but at least I learned my lesson and had a great experience on my first day in D.C.

Oh and in case you were wondering, I totally left my grocery saks at home to be shipped to me ... so although I saved the earth from carbon emissions... I used way to many plastic bags :(

Go Green or Go Home

I enjoy learning about the environment, and ways in which we, as consumers, can individually (and collectively) protect it. We are so blessed to have such an amazing place to live, is it bad to want to "give back?", wait, let me rephrase that, not even give back, just be conscious of the effects each of us have on our earth? For instance, did you know, the average American has a "carbon footprint" of 20 tons per year?!
To Be Green:
To conserve natural resources and consume consciously to reduce our impact on this big blue planet we call home. Think about how you eat, what you wear, how you drive. This isn't about everyone doing everything. No one is perfect. But we all play a role in the problem and can take part in the solution. If everyone does something, it would have a tremendous impact on our world and the legacy we leave for future generations.
Carbon Dioxide gas (CO2) is the major cause of climate change in the world. Humans are emitting millions of pounds of CO2 gas into the environment. CO2 gas is referred to as a "greenhouse gas" because it allows sunlight to enter the atmosphere like through the glass of a greenhouse and it keeps the heat trapped inside. This warms up the planet.

So my question is, Does knowing this automatically make me granola? You decide.

"Going Green" is a popular topic these days. Companies are realizing they have a competitive advantage when they endorse Green Business. Celebrities are also taking a stand. My favorite this year is Sheryl Crow's Global Warming Tour (ok, so really it was her blog that caused a scene; urging readers to "only use 1 square of toilet paper; 2-3 for those pesky incidences.") Thanks Sheryl for making us all look like freaks.

Recently in my International Environmental Law class we have focused on recent efforts to be "more green". We have discussed whether these efforts actually make a difference, or if they just make people feel better about themselves. Professor DiMento posed the question: How many of the girls in the class would buy a hemp dress? I decided that I would possibly buy the dress to encourage alternative forms of consumer goods; however, if I were to ever wear the dress I would have not only crossed, but jumped over the line and would need someone to bring me back to the light.