These days, it’s not uncommon to find high carbon-consciousness on Capitol Hill. Many Hill residents don’t have cars or own a hybrid, are conscientious of how many airline miles they log, and some even take the leap and go vegetarian to keep their dietary footprint down as well. At the end of the day, Hill-folk can look around themselves and be satisfied with their carbon karma…or we can look closer and see there are steps we can take to shrink down our footprints even further. Carbon Coach David Lyman is one for taking a second look. After taking the Carbon Coach training course through the City of Seattle and Washington State University, Lyman decided he would spread the word via an upcoming free carbon coaching workshop in order to start shrinking footprints throughout the neighborhood.
If you think that you have the smallest possible carbon footprint, Lyman says to think again. “Lots of high carbon footprint things hide out in weird places, like leather shoes,” says Lyman, “People with pets have a huge carbon footprint”. While he will be covering the usual bases – transportation, housing, food – Lyman is also willing to assess impacts that others may not. “One that people really don’t like to talk about is the carbon footprint of having children. Your footprint goes up 5 times if you have a child because we’re assuming your children will have children, and so on. Adoptions are the eco-friendly choice.”
So, what can you do about it? “It’s just good to measure the impact of your lifestyle,” says Lyman, “And talk to others about carbon reduction. That may be the biggest way to help.” (Lyman also says that anyone who signs up at the Seattle Climate Action NOW website and takes a look at their carbon reduction tools before the workshop gets bonus points.) If you’re willing to take a long, hard look at your greenhouse gas impact, come to Lyman’s workshop at the Capitol Hill Branch Library on January 23rd from 3-4:30pm. Your carbon footprint will never be the same again.
Jen is a happy resident of Capitol Hill who hopes she never has to leave. She also pontificates about neighborhood issues on her own blog, Life on the Hill and Other Stories.
