Comments on: Checklist Toward Zero Carbon http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/checklist-toward-zero-carbon/ Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:26:55 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: kenlevenson http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/checklist-toward-zero-carbon/#comment-25 kenlevenson Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:56:20 +0000 http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/?p=3#comment-25 Thanks for heads up on foreword - you can stare at the page and miss so much. I understand your complaint about the length but my feeling is people want to know what all the options are and then will self edit. Clear prioritizing toward high impact is important and I'll be doing more of that soon. As for the offsets, honestly I'm a skeptic too, but I think your analogy of the drunk/non-drunk is off the mark. To me carbon offsets are more like a self-tax, like a smoker saying he's going to pay more to smoke so that the tax money can be invested in smoking reduction programs. Seems to me that while we wait for government carbon taxing - self taxing and investing is the next best thing. We're at a point of dropping off the cliff so I think we need to try almost everything possible. Thanks for heads up on foreword – you can stare at the page and miss so much. I understand your complaint about the length but my feeling is people want to know what all the options are and then will self edit. Clear prioritizing toward high impact is important and I’ll be doing more of that soon.
As for the offsets, honestly I’m a skeptic too, but I think your analogy of the drunk/non-drunk is off the mark. To me carbon offsets are more like a self-tax, like a smoker saying he’s going to pay more to smoke so that the tax money can be invested in smoking reduction programs. Seems to me that while we wait for government carbon taxing – self taxing and investing is the next best thing.
We’re at a point of dropping off the cliff so I think we need to try almost everything possible.

]]> By: Kiashu http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/checklist-toward-zero-carbon/#comment-24 Kiashu Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:53:21 +0000 http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/?p=3#comment-24 Oh and PS... Carbon offsets are <a href="http://greenwithagun.blogspot.com/2007/10/carbon-offsets.html" rel="nofollow">bollocks</a>, except maybe for some of the tree-planting ones. If I'm sitting at a bar next to a guy drinking Coke, I won't become more sober by paying him to continue not drinking. The rest is good, but like I said, overly-long and detailed. When we're at 400 or 500% of global average, and 2,500% of what we need to be, we need just a few things that'll take us from that 2,500% to "only" 150% or so. Stuff like how long you preheat the oven is small change, 1-5%. Better to focus on the big things, once those are dealt with, everything else will follow. No-one's going to follow these 200 or so different things. And it's "foreword". The <i>words</i> that come be<i>fore</i> all the rest of the words. It's got nothing to do with moving forwards, you can have a foreword to a very backwards book :p Oh and PS… Carbon offsets are bollocks, except maybe for some of the tree-planting ones. If I’m sitting at a bar next to a guy drinking Coke, I won’t become more sober by paying him to continue not drinking.

The rest is good, but like I said, overly-long and detailed. When we’re at 400 or 500% of global average, and 2,500% of what we need to be, we need just a few things that’ll take us from that 2,500% to “only” 150% or so. Stuff like how long you preheat the oven is small change, 1-5%. Better to focus on the big things, once those are dealt with, everything else will follow. No-one’s going to follow these 200 or so different things.

And it’s “foreword”. The words that come before all the rest of the words. It’s got nothing to do with moving forwards, you can have a foreword to a very backwards book :p

]]> By: Kiashu http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/checklist-toward-zero-carbon/#comment-23 Kiashu Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:44:04 +0000 http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/?p=3#comment-23 Your list is very good and thorough, but it's a bit long. I mean, I'm very interested in the topic and I still only scanned over it. I prefer my <a href="http://greenwithagun.blogspot.com/2008/02/one-tonne-carbon-lifestyle.html" rel="nofollow">shorter list</a> towards a "one tonne CO2 lifestyle", which also gives an example of someone who lives like that, describes their daily life. Those sorts of illustrations help people realise, "well, actually I wouldn't have to live in a cave, wow." Your list is very good and thorough, but it’s a bit long. I mean, I’m very interested in the topic and I still only scanned over it.

I prefer my shorter list towards a “one tonne CO2 lifestyle”, which also gives an example of someone who lives like that, describes their daily life. Those sorts of illustrations help people realise, “well, actually I wouldn’t have to live in a cave, wow.”

]]> By: Ian http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/checklist-toward-zero-carbon/#comment-21 Ian Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:02:45 +0000 http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/?p=3#comment-21 Fabulous resource. It's a lot to digest at a glance -- for visual thinkers, a <a href="http://www.onearth.org/blog/whats-happening-on-earth/one-for-the-climate-warriors-toolbox" rel="nofollow">mind map</a> might help you to mentally organize it all. Fabulous resource. It’s a lot to digest at a glance — for visual thinkers, a mind map might help you to mentally organize it all.

]]> By: kenlevenson http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/checklist-toward-zero-carbon/#comment-18 kenlevenson Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:43:41 +0000 http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/?p=3#comment-18 Thanks! I'll look into your company and see about listing. Although to be clear, none of the ones currently listed are "recommended" per se. And omission is not meant to be seen as any kind of judgment either. Just trying to keep things simple! Thanks! I’ll look into your company and see about listing. Although to be clear, none of the ones currently listed are “recommended” per se. And omission is not meant to be seen as any kind of judgment either. Just trying to keep things simple!

]]> By: Russell http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/checklist-toward-zero-carbon/#comment-14 Russell Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:30:46 +0000 http://checklisttowardzerocarbon.wordpress.com/?p=3#comment-14 I think this is a fantastic resource, especially considering all the links you've provided to put the ideas into action. Just don't forget to recommend Carbonfund.org as the place to go for carbon offsets! Our motto: reduce what you can, offset what you can't. -Russell Carbonfund.org I think this is a fantastic resource, especially considering all the links you’ve provided to put the ideas into action. Just don’t forget to recommend Carbonfund.org as the place to go for carbon offsets! Our motto: reduce what you can, offset what you can’t.
-Russell
Carbonfund.org

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