The funny thing about climate change (also known as global warming) is that it is so invisible to us, while so serious. Our daily lives here in the affluent U.S. don’t look different despite the icecaps melting, etc. But our lives should look different — we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050. So Colleen and I are starting a Carbon Reduction Action Group (here is my first look at this).
This means we and whoever joins us will be counting our households’ monthly greenhouse gas emissions in three ways: our heating bills, electricity bills and transportation (personal use, not business use). The idea is healthy competition with ourselves to steadily reduce our emissions down to a sustainable level, especially given that government is not taking the lead.
To clarify, CRAG in the United Kingdom is a Carbon Rationing Action Group. I’ve noticed though that the term ‘rationing’ is seen differently in the UK than in the U.S., i.e. with less morbid fear. So I’m doing as some others have done by using the term ‘carbon reduction action group’ rather than ‘carbon rationing action group’. Got to respect your market.
If you find this idea daunting you’re not alone. Half my friends freaked at the idea of counting and reporting their emissions. But I know in my gut this is absolutely doable. More soon.
I am really looking forward to working with you and the Green Girls on the Portland Carbon Reduction Action Group.
Greetings from the carbon-reducers at the Riot 4 Austerity! We’re doing what you’re doing! (We have seven categories, but basically we measure, we keep track, we make changes, we help each other out. Just like you guys.) We’re also called the 90% Reduction group.
We set our goal at 10% of the average American emissions in each category. Some of us get there, most of us have trouble in one category or another, which helps to pinpoint where we need infrastructure change.
To meet the founders and participants, visit us at http://www.riot4austerity.org/blog/
or look for us on Yahoo Groups.
Congratulations on the launch of your project and good luck.
Our Portland CRAG Launches! « Diamond-Cut Life // Apr 16, 2008 at 6:46 pm
[...] Our Portland CRAG Launches! Published April 16, 2008 carbon footprint , climate change , culture , environment , global warming , life , simplicity , sustainability Tags: carbon footprint, community, dinner, friendship, fun, sled dogs, wine Last night five friends of mine, new and old, got together at Colleen and Thad’s house in NE Portland. We had wine, a delicious potluck dinner and animated-to-hilarious planning of our Carbon Action Reduction Group. [...]
How is your CRAG doing nearly a year later?
Garrett, thanks for asking. The answer is humbling: while we’re all still pursuing sustainability and working to contain our carbon footprints, we never followed through on the measurement and accountability piece. Our CRAG per se never got off the ground.
I can’t speak for the others in the group, but here is what’s true for me: I’m saturated with sedentary work between writing this blog and my full-time job in transportation options. All that sedentary work is highly mental, highly detailed, and tightly focused on sustainability. My commute keeps me sedentary another seven hours per week, and steadily recurring home-office tasks like bill-paying and planning trips to see my elderly parents keep my butt in a chair and my brain trained on details yet more hours per month.
In short, I didn’t feel willing/able to add the sedentary CRAG work of counting my household’s carbon in addition to all the above. I constantly am fighting to find a couple hours in any given week to hike, dance or go running to keep myself in some semblance of mind/body balance.
For me, the endless tracking of details is almost as bad as constantly having my butt in a seat. I’d love to hear from successful CRAG participants on how they push back against both of the barriers I’m describing.