What's Up With The Climate

' The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the average carbon footprint is closer to 4 tons. ´ reported by the Nature Conservancy. As Sandy said,  Earth Day is a chance to renew your resolve to be involved in making and keeping our planet sustainable for our lives and future generations. How do we lessen our carbon footprint on Mother Earth?  Any change starts by acknowledging the current situation and, from there, determining best ways to move forward – in big ways like how we heat our homes to little ways turning off lights when we leave rooms.  There are numerous on-line tools to determine your current footprints.     Carbon Footprint  from The Nature Conservancy is one.    Cool Congregations  is another option.    One common critique in asking for individuals to make life-style changes to lessen our footprint, is the question ‘ Can one p...

Today starts our weeklong series on tips for light footsteps on Mother Earth by considering why earth day is part of our yearly calendar. Where did it come from and what are we supposed to do on Earth Day? Many of our Vermont traditions, like Green Up Day, are not practiced across the U.S. nor the world. So,  Earth Day  is one day that all nations are connected in calling for actions that keep our planet healthy. Earth Day began when US Senator Gaylord Nelson witnessed the effects of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA in 1969. He called to action all Americans to take a stand for the environment in 1970, and thousands of colleges and universities across the United States organized protests for a healthy, sustainable Earth. This included cleaning up air pollution from factories and freeways, as well as reducing the loss of habitats for animals and animal extinction. Because of these national rallies, the first Earth Day helped create the United States Environmental Prote...