A guide for reducing your personal impact

As posted on TreeHugger.com: by Meg O’Neill, Newport RI

You probably already know that the average temperature of the Earth’s surface has risen about 1 degree Fahrenheit over the past hundred years, and that it’s mostly due human activity. In a nutshell, that’s global warming. So what can you do about? We’re glad you asked, because today marks the official launch of the Slate Green Challenge with TreeHugger, and you are cordially invited to participate.

On average, every American is responsible for about 22 tons of carbon-dioxide emissions per year. That’s equivalent to the emissions of about 4 cars. How can you change that? By joining our eight-week carbon diet. It begins with a quiz that will assess your overall carbon emissions footprint. Then, each week–starting today with transportation–we’ll give you info and tips on how you can reduce your personal impact. Come back every week between now and Dec. 11 for the other units we’ve developed topics such as food, clothing, electricity, and holiday shopping. (And don’t worry if you miss the launch date—you can begin anytime during the eight-week period.) Collectively, we’re hoping for an overall reduction of 20 percent. Think you can do it? For your efforts, we’ve got a prize: The first 500 people who complete the Challenge will receive a T-shirt from our generous friends and sponsor at I’m Organic. Now go on, get over there. Don’t you think you could stand to lose 5,000 pounds?

Click here to Participate!!