VOOMCART FOUNDER TORI WRIGHT GETS REAL WITH HER CARBON FOOTPRINT
Photo Credit: Joshua Earle, published by Sublime Magazine
GRAHAM HILL'S CARBONAUTS' COURSE IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND LIVING A MORE SUSTAINABLE AND ACCOUNTABLE LIFE
BY TORI WRIGHT
Intention is the starting place for action. We understand this to be a common truth. But perhaps a deeper understanding is what is required to shift from intention to action. I know that for me and many of my family and friends, when it comes to living more sustainably many of us are only scratching the surface.
Sure, if you're trying to live a more sustainable life, there are some simple ways to do better. Incorporating reusable bags into our daily lives, choosing active transportation, or switching to an electric car are all ways that I see my community trying to make a difference. But, if you want to dig deep and really make an impact this year, I highly recommend The Carbonauts. https://www.thecarbonauts.com The Carbonauts offers an e-course on the planet for the planet, curated and led by Graham Hill.
Perhaps you have already heard of Graham Hill or the many projects he has spearheaded. Hill is the founder of Exceptional Lab Inc, LifeEdited, Treehugger, and now The Carbonauts. Hill is on a decades-long, multi-company mission to help humanity move into the bright green future.
I was particularly struck by The Carbonauts' assertion that if we can get 3.5% of the population living compelling, low-footprint lives that a tipping point will be reached and governments and corporations will pave the way for the rest of society to move rapidly to a net-zero, sustainable way of life.
That sounded like something worth betting on, so I took the course, and it empowered me to take strong action and change the way I live and the daily decisions I make. The BIG 6, as the course was called, was 6 weeks of 1-hour ZOOM sessions that run through the 6 most impactful steps you can take to lower your carbon footprint and live more sustainably. The course provided the why, the how and the guidance to move me from intention into action.
If you're curious to know what your personal impact is on the planet, The Carbonauts offer a 1-hour FREE course to help you find out what your carbon footprint is. If lowering your carbon footprint made it on your list of New Year's resolutions, this is a good place to start. What have you got to lose?
As for me, I was able to look at my personal footprint and see which areas of my life had the biggest impact. It was also exciting to learn from the planet's leading experts on where I could take action to make the biggest difference where it comes to climate change.
Here are 5 of the behaviors that I have changed, for the better.
No more plastic bags ever. I now have reusable bags for groceries and produce stashed in my VOOMcart and car trunk.
Less gas. I am choosing active transportation with my VOOMcart to do my grocery shopping on weekends within my community. (1/3 of all cart trips are under a mile or 1.6 km. That's basically equivalent to a 15-20 minute walk at a moderate pace. And I can go literally anywhere with my VOOMcart.
Less electric. Less waste. If you leave a room in my house, it's lights out now. No more being lit up like a jewel box at night.
Less personal food waste. I was shocked to learn through my Carbonauts course that 40% of all food is wasted, and over half of that comes just from our own homes.
Less Beef consumption. Make different food choices. Beef, lamb, and cheese are by far the biggest emission culprits. It truly matters what we choose to eat and how often. Beef is by far the most inefficient choice of meat -- it takes 32 pounds of feed to yield only 1 pound of beef. This actually blew my mind and it still strikes me every time I find myself considering meat for our menu.
If you are serious about making a change in your life towards greater sustainability, as I know many of our VOOMcart community are, then I highly recommend Graham Hill's course with The Carbonauts. Whether you want to start gradually or make a drastic change, you will never again be at a loss as to what difference even one person can make with their carbon footprint.
If you aren't familiar with Graham Hill yet, try checking out his Ted Talk "Why I'm A Weekly Vegetarian." Here's the link:
https://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_why_i_m_a_weekday_vegetarian?language=en#t-168119
Change for good really doesn't have to be intimidating or complicated. Give it a shot.