But back up a minute: Just what is a carbon footprint, anyway? In a nutshell, it's basically a way to calculate the amount of non-renewable energy it takes to support your lifestyle. Leading climatologists say we need to reduce this kind of energy use by at least 50% to fight global warming. And though some folks dismiss everyday green initiatives like buying green 'bulbs and hybrid cars as a mere drop in one helluva bucket, others agree that if we all take action in our daily lives, these drops can add up to a flood.
So if you drive a gigantic car and leave your lights on all day, your carbon footprint would be calculated somewhere along the lines of an Ugg boot. But if you're an eco-obsessive who bikes everywhere and burns soy candles to light your home, your carbon footprint would look, well, virtually nonexistent. Most of us fall somewhere in between. But most carbon calculators don't take into account that the daily decisions we make every day can reduce our carbon footprints. They don't care that you buy organic denim jeans or paraben-free beauty products. But these things count!
We're not about guilt, we're about information. We're not about forcing you to change, we're about giving you alternatives. Because everyone wants to make a difference, but no one wants to give up the little things that we love. Making a difference doesn't have to mean making a huge change in your lifestyle. Sometimes it just means considering the alternatives.
EcoStiletto was founded in 2008 by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, a writer, producer and spokesperson who represents eco-friendly living.
Rachel has been a reporter for PlanetGreen.com and Treehugger.com; she wrote the “L.A. Story” column on the Washington Post’s Sprig.com. Currently, Rachel is the resident “Green Guru” at Savings.com, “Queen of Green” at Shoestringmag.com and “Green Expert” at GetButtonedUp.com.
As a small-screen environista, Rachel has guested on eco-lifestyle “CNN Headline News Local Edition,” “Extra,” “Living With Ed,” “Hollywood Green,” “Good Day L.A.” and TV Guide Channel’s “The Fashion Team” segments, and has spoken on behalf of the national non-profit Healthy Child, Healthy World and Whole Foods’ Whole Body department.
A mother of three, Rachel also blogs at MommyGreenest.com; she reuses, reduces and recycles with her husband and three children in Los Angeles, CA.
Nobody pays to play on EcoStiletto; if there's an ad on our site, you'll recognize it as such. We may be poorer than some other peeps, but we've got integrity. (And charasma. But that's another story.)
