This is a project I adopted from a customer of mine and have adapted it to my workplace. I am happy to report that 8 of 16 employees are participating in this challenge, using all methods of travel to arrive to work. Summer is approaching and it's a perfect time to get of the vehicle.
If you are interested in the editable file shoot me an email and I will happily send it your way. You could then arrange the rules, point and prize system to your liking.
With a child on the way, the topic of diapers and issues surrounding the subject began to utterly consume me. It has been said that we will change approximately 6,000 diapers in our baby’s lifetime and it was absolutely impossible to wrap my head around the idea of sending 6,000 wadded up plastic balls of poop to a landfill. The quest for a non disposable yet cost effective diapering option led us to seventh generation’s biodegradable products, bumgenius’hybrid cloth diaper, cloth diapering services and ultimately gdiapers.
We chose gdiapers for the following reasons:
1)Disposable yet biodegradable, flushable or compostable = ECO-FRIENDLY
2)Plastic, chlorine, latex and perfume free combined with a breathable material = reduced risk of diaper rash.
3)The products are inexpensive in comparison to other non-disposable options and reasonable in comparison to disposables.
This diapering option is not for everyone however, we have determined that it will best fit our needs. We have yet to used these diapers but have extensively researched the product, made the initial investment, are excited to try them out and hopeful that they will meet our expectations.
PROS: Eliminates burden on landfills, Flushable, Compostable (Vermicomposting bins will also do the trick), Easy on the skin, Cool eye catching colors
CONS: Consume water if flushed, Look to be slightly more time consuming, not the cheapest option, must get up close and personal with your baby’s leftovers
Today’s FUN FACT:
Well over 20,000,000,000 diapers are tossed into landfills each year in the United Sates alone. Although no one knows for sure, it is estimated that one of these diapers will take 250-500 years to disappear if left out in the open, in a landfill this may take an eternity. After all, nothing biodegrades in a landfill.
In the month of April I drove my vehicular device only a few short miles, 40 to be exact. My gas tank was filled nearly four weeks ago and the needle still resides on full marker.
This is an extreme adjustment after having to fill my gas tank bi-weekly in the first months of the year. Understandably, extreme adjustments are simply not possible for everybody but walking anywhere is a good place to start.
Here is a good principle to follow: If your radiator’s temperature gauge does not fully settle between the hot and cold marker by the time you have reached you destination, walking would probably have been a better option. WALKING is simply a synonym for getting outside and smelling fresh air; by all means explore other options as there are many available to you.
PROS: Fresh air, exposure to the elements, exercise, less money spent on ever depleting fossil fuels, less vehicle maintenance, becoming aware of your surroundings and precious time to think.
There is nothing worse than starting your car in the morning and having the smell of fresh exhaust seep in through the cracks; walking will eliminate this issue altogether.
CONS: Time consuming, poor weather
Today’s FUN FACT:
In addition to carbon dioxide, automobiles produce methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) from the tailpipe, as well as HFC emissions from leaking air conditioners. On average, CH4, N2O, and HFC emissions represent roughly 5 - 6 percent of the GHG emissions from passenger vehicles, while CO2 emissions account for 94-95 percent, accounting for the global warming potential of each greenhouse gas.
Conservation is easy and yes, you can make a difference! If you have the desire to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repeat and are unsure of where to begin, this is the place to start.
Simple everyday people making simple everyday changes in favor of the environment will save the Planet along with our Pocketbooks. With regards to the natural environment my awareness has begun to soar and I would like to share some of what I’ve learned in just a short amount of time. Together, with your comments, ideas and actions a difference will be made; Show Mother Earth some Love.
Please speak freely as I am a hard individual to offend. If you feel that my comments or that this page altogether are a liberalistic waste of time let me know, I’d love to listen to your statements and prefer viewing both sides of the fence.
The Little Things: Let’s start with small changes and move upward. If you unconvinced of the importance of small changes I suggest creating a small snowball, rolling it down a steep mountain slope and making note of the results.
Filed Under : by Footprint Minimizer
Thursday, June 3, 2010
