First Post | Carbon Emissions

I'm just back from the Governors Climate Conference in Miami, Florida with my husband, Michael, where we learned more about Carbon Emissions (the emissions of heat-trapping gasses - mostly carbon dioxide) and how climate change relates to all of us.

These gasses come from our cars, from our businesses, from cutting down trees for non-green development (deforestation), from your hairspray (not mine : ), from (backward) cows and the list goes on.

These emissions are covering the planet like a thick warm blanket. You know how it feels when you wake up at night to kick off your blanket, right? Well, we can't kick off the tightly stitched Carbon Emission Quilt covering the earth - OUR earth. Our planet is heating up and changing our natural environment, folks, and we simply don't know how our earth will react to the increasing heat.

So, what are we going to do about it? What are YOU going to do about it? As individuals and corporate citizens, we can work together to take baby steps and begin to decrease our (negative) impact on the environment.

Individuals can: Reduce Reuse Recycle; Walk, Bike, Run or Carpool; Install low flow everything; Keep your home thermostat lower in the winter and higher in the summer; Replace light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs and TURN THE LIGHTS OFF WHEN YOU LEAVE A ROOM; Run your dishwasher and washing machine when they're full; Use cold water whenever possible; Buy and use those great recycled bags when you shop (PUBLIX provided the bags for the Miami Climate Conference); that's a beginning...do you have suggestions?

Businesses can: Unplug your workstations if possible as they pull energy event when turned off; Reduce paper use, use double side printing, use recycled paper with less bleach and more post-consumer content (Yes, I said it! Go Virtual - Save a Tree!); Telecommute when possible; Purchase carbon offsets for travel and emissions; Everything listed under Individuals applies to Business including: that's a beginning...do you have suggestions?

Everyone can contribute to the process of supporting ways we can save our valuable environmental resources.

At the Cultural Center, where I'm currently Marketing & Development Director, we're hosting a huge environmental exhibition, EverGreen: Environmental Interpretations on August 22, 2008, and a EverGreen Family Festival on August 23, 2008. We've invited our artists members to submit work that reflects their interpretation of what environmental means to them. Plus, we're hosting a Family Festival and will highlight fun activities that highlight ways families can begin the process of going green. Visit http://www.ccpvb.org/ as event details will be posted soon.

Responsible companies in the U.S. are developing strategies to save our resources, as well. Environmental Services, Inc. (ESI) is the leading full service environmental consulting firm headquartered in Florida. ESI is a progressive leader in providing and developing innovative services that meet the growing demand for ecological sustainability. With more than 20 years as a leader of environmental issues, ESI's knowledge, experience, and depth of resources have provided them the ability to help other companies to adapt quickly within the emerging greenhouse gas, renewable energy, and green certification markets. ESI has made a formal commitment to do its part by reducing their impact on the environment. Visit http://www.esinc.cc/ for more information on what this company is doing to participate in saving natural resources and what they're capable of doing to assist other companies in building sustainable business strategies.

OK, this is my first post. I think I went a little long : ) Don't forget to click on Twitter and follow the green-y brick road : )