Last week I was interviewed about our project for a post on Comments are Open. I was able to answer some good questions, plus have some fun with the interviewer, who goes by the name of Blog Starr. She's letting me reprint the interview here to share with you.
Let's start Monday off by doing the right thing.
I have been inspired by the blog Ecohacks. I've found lots of easy-to-access information about personal green efforts, but more importantly, the blog author Eva Smart has a very practical point of view. Yes, we can do better with recycling and reducing energy rates. But there is a limit. I’m not going to use a hand-crank laptop and install a pine-tree sized solar hose to take warm showers.
Eva offers the more modern solution of buying carbon offset credits. So, if you know you use a lot of gas in your old SUV and can’t downscale just yet because you are in six carpools, you can donate to a “Replenish the Planet” program and they will plant bamboo for you to clean up you act. Love it. Outsource the greening!
I wanted to know more about it, so I asked Eva for an interview. She charmingly obliged.
Starr: Ecohacks is a great blog. It seems pretty new. Why did you start blogging?
Eva: I’ve been working with a team of people to plant bamboo for people who want to give back to the Earth for what they have taken away. We have gathered a lot of information about carbon offsetting, so I wanted to share them. A blog is ideal for getting information and experiences out. I also want people to know it isn’t expensive to make a difference.
Starr: So carbon offsetting means planting something to replace the energy we’ve used.
Eva: Yes, the energy, the paper, all of the things about our lifestyle that we know are wasteful or that pollute.
Starr: I don’t want to be a crunchy granola chick working on a solar farm. So I can have my cake and eat it too by buying carbon offsets?
Eva: We think of carbon offsets as the icing on the cake. Of course we should reduce, reuse, recycle, keep the landfills small, keep toxins out of our land and water, and conserve energy. But we can’t—or don’t want to—get rid of everything. So planting back through offset credits is the icing on the cake, the last touch to make sure your carbon footprint is erased.
Starr: My carbon footprint is from Jimmy Choo.
Eva: Consumerism is a great reason to donate. Here’s a slogan: “Buy some Choos? Planet bamboo!”
Starr: You are kind of crazy about bamboo. Is this a panda cult?
Eva: Bamboo is so amazing with so many useful properties, I can go on and on about it! It’s simply the best for sequestering carbon, and the canes help reduce the number of trees that need to be cut down. I want everyone to love bamboo!
Starr: Who contributes to your project? Not just pandas, I’m assuming.
Eva: No, we don’t collect from endangered species, just people. There are plenty of us! Some projects work with big companies and factories to offset their polluting, but we work with individuals, families and small businesses. People donate to “Replenish the Earth” for lots of reasons. Some people do it as a gift in honor of someone who doesn’t need any more things. I fly for my job, so each time I take a flight I make a donation. Some people just make a contribution each month, or a one-time donation. Volunteers then plant the bamboo. It all adds up to a better planet.
Starr: When I donated, you put me on the Eco Hero blogroll. Tell me about that.
Eva: We want to thank bloggers who donate by acknowledging them, and we want to link to them so we can visit their sites. Bloggers know that their computing habits waste energy—it’s horrible what happens to old monitors, too—so this gives them a chance to have bamboo planted on their behalf. We’ve met some great folks through the blogroll!
When you meet someone who is committed to doing good, you can’t help but want to join in. I’m keeping my eye on Ecohacks and tossing some Paypal their way when I can. As their tagline says, “if it’s this easy to be green, I’m in.” Good luck, Eva!
Posted in:
awareness
on
Monday, March 3, 2008
at
at
3:34 AM
