Reducing consumption and carbon emissions

Given the choice, I think more and more people would like to reduce their consumption, make purchasing decisions that support local businesses, and reduce their impact on the environment.

But we are all time-starved, and there is a lot of confusing information out there. On this site, I hope to present suggestions that people can actually use. Some of the collected links are a start.

Most of us could make the biggest difference by reducing our trips that use gasoline and jet fuel. As for plane travel, we can question the need to fly to that business meeting, and we can consider a vacation closer to home. If we still need -- or want -- to fly, there are several programs selling carbon offsets that will purportedly make our travel "carbon neutral".

For example, my round-trip flight from Portland to Bend will apparently create 435 lbs of greenhouse gases. For a few dollars, I can purchase a "green tag" from Bonneville Environmental Foundation (the local option, see link at left), which will invest the money in renewable energy sources. Or I can buy a "ski green tag" at Mt. Bachelor.