Saving the planet is in vogue. Many of us recycle, take shorter showers, and try
to do the “green” thing whenever possible. But how can you measure the
long-term impact of your actions?
Enter CarbonRally.com. This website issues
weekly environmental challenges and tracks how much carbon is reduced for each specific
action you commit to. For example, accepting the “Bring Your Own Bag”
challenge (which requires that you abjure plastic grocery bags for a month) will
reduce your carbon output by six pounds. Over time, CarbonRally will measure all
the carbon you’re saving to show what kind of long-term change you’re
affecting.
But that’s just on the personal scale. CarbonRally also lets you compete against
other users by ranking your carbon savings against theirs. You can create teams
of friends or co-workers – Google’s Philadelphia office is currently
racing its Boston co-workers, for example. Being green has never been this fun!
The site also offers interactive maps so you can view carbon savings on a global
and local scale. Who saves the most carbon in Kona? Which city reduced its carbon
footprint more: Lihu‘e or Honolulu?
Here’s a convenient truth: It’s never too late (or too early) to start
thinking about how you can preserve the environment. May the smallest carbon footprint
win!
We’d love to hear from you.
If you know a web site that focuses on health, family, food or fun, email it to feedback@islandscene.com and we may review it for Island Scene Online.