350 Challenge - Get On Board Now!

You may have notice something different about my blog today. I added the 350 Challenge badge so that the world can see that I am helping to fight climate change You can add the badge to your blog too, but what exactly is the 350 Challenge? I'm glad that you asked!

Brighter Planet asked and bloggers delivered! 350 bloggers rose to the challenge, offsetting over 122,500 pounds of CO2. Because of the great success of the program, they decided to keep the campaign going. When you post the 350 Challenge badge on your site Brighter Planet will offset 350 pounds of carbon in your name! 350 pounds! Wow! That's like flicking off 100 lightbulbs for a day. Or going two full weeks without your car!

Yes, it really is that simple. This is really a small, simple way to show your support to fight climate change. The best part is that the more that get the badge, the better. Some people do not realize that climate change could be the biggest problem we face today and in the future, so by posting the badge, you will alert all your blogging fans that this problem belongs to everyone and is a true reality.

So why the number 350? 350 is the parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere that we must aim for if we want to keep the planet relatively safe. Relatively safe? That sounds scary to me. I want things totally safe, so what is the totally safe number? If you know what this number is, please post a comment letting me know.

Another question, why carbon offsets? I mean, why not something else? According to the 350brighterplanet webiste, carbon offsets play a crucial role in building a sustainable society. Many renewable energy projects are well suited to produce energy and meet stringent standards, but lack sufficient financing. Oh, I get it now. Projects need money and carbon offsets fill the void by investing in those projects. This is pretty smart stuff. But, what types of offset projects am I supporting?

Brighter Planet has renewable energy projects all across the U.S. that decrease our national dependence on carbon-emitting energy sources. These are dirty energy sources, or as I like to think of them "old school" sources like coal burning power plants. No one is arguing that coal burning is not an effective source of power, but it is really bad for the environment. In the way back day, people were not aware of the true costs of burning coal, but now we know and we must act.

Some of the renewable energy projects are wind power in public school districts or open lands. Other projects are cow power on family farms. Huh? Cow power? I need to find out more about cow power because maybe we can use it at our house.

Now that you have the information, get busy people! Go to http://350.brighterplanet.com/ and follow the steps. Step 1 is post the badge and step 2 is complete the form. If you don't have a blog yet you can still spread the word and share this info with everyone you know. And when you do get a blog you can post your badge to let the world know that you are fighting climate change.