Get Energy Smart! NOW!

As we search paths to communicate with people about what some term Bright Green environmentalism: that we can via a variety of paths (policies, standards, building codes, better land management/land-usage planning, technology development, deployment of existing energy efficiency/renewable energy options, etc) tackle our economic, energy, and environment (E3) challenges to navigate the Perfect Storm of climate change and peak oil to come out at the other end with a prosperous and climate-friendly society. I am, in many ways, a devotee and advocate of ‘bright green’ opportunities and imperatives.

The ‘Green Crib‘ from the Alliance for Climate Education is a semi-comedic effort to communicate with people that our own, individual choices, amid a holiday season can be done in ways that actually will save us money while lowering our damaging footprint on the planetary system. Thus, the video below. It highlights one of my simplest ‘beefs’ related to gift-giving: the utter wastefulness of the gift-wrapping industry which leads to tangible financial costs and sends (additional) material directly to the dump. People ‘know’ I’m environmentally conscious and will give me a ‘green’ gift — wrapped up in plasticized wrapping paper that can’t be sent to a landfill. Thus, in my household, our gifts are given in bags or wrapped in amusing paper that can then be recycled (excess kids’ drawings, colorful pages from the newspaper / magazines / catalogues, etc …). (For a great elementary school level project highlighting wrapping paper waste, see Idaho Department of Environmental Quality “Doing the Three R Wrap”.)

Now, regretfully, this comedic interlude didn’t touch many of the other ‘holiday’ choices that can enable celebrating a holiday with great cheer and enthusiasm while putting a smaller footprint on the planet. For example, want holiday lighting? There is a big difference in energy demand between incandescent and LED bulbs … and the LED bulbs are safer and will pay for themselves due to longevity and lower energy costs.