Step Into the Earth Lab

As a person who is always looking for ways to be more efficient, the idea of finding out my exact carbon footprint and ways to reduce it is very appealing. There are carbon footprint calculators galore on the Internet, and in an effort to find more ways to reduce my emissions, I have been perusing many of them recently. A tip from my friend Marah over at The Blue Ocean Institute led me to Earthlab.

Here's why Earthlab is worth a visit:

1. Requires Very Little Patience - As they say on their website, it really does take only 3 minutes to calculate your carbon usage.
2. Covers All the Bases - The calculator evaluates 6 basic facets of how we live - home, energy, commute, travel, work, lifestyle.
3. Score Means Something - Once you are done (let's say during minute 4), you get a score from 150-900 (150 means you are a carbon-saving rock star), and you also are able to compare your score to other people in your city, state, and country.
4. Tangible Ways to Reduce - No matter what your score, there are specific pledges you can take to reduce your carbon emissions further. For example, in the energy section, you can pledge to air dry your dishes, start composting, or turn off lights whenever you leave a room.
5. You Can Track Your Progress (think of it as an alternative to Facebook when looking for a way to procrastinate at work) - You can visit your account at Earthlab regularly to report your progress, update your score, and make new pledges.

Earthlab offers tangible actions that you can start taking today. So stop reading this blog and go save some energy!