My resolutions for the new year focus on two areas:  food and transportation.  The first is a common theme for nearly everyone come January 1.  The latter carries over something I started this year.  Let's tackle that one first...

Transportation:  More Miles and Smiles per Gallon

In mid-December, circumstances put me in the market for a new car for the first time in 22 years. I was keenly interested in an all-electric vehicle (EV) to cut my carbon emissions to zero, so I talked with friends who'd made the transition with great results.  But, I wasn't sure I could live within the mileage range most EVs provide between charges.  With more time to investigate, I'm confident we could have made it work.  But, needing a new car quickly, I compromised by choosing a hybrid.

I have never been one to make New Year’s Resolutions -- I just never wanted to set myself up for failure!  However, I often think about ways I want to change for the better as the yew year arrives, and others around me are making their own resolutions.  So, maybe those “thoughts” are my New Year’s resolutions.  Lately I have been thinking it is time to offset my carbon footprint in a tangible way.

My husband Billy and I had a wonderful trip to Italy this fall, but I have been concerned about the carbon footprint created by our flight.  Jets have a huge environmental impact.  So, do we just stop flying like Greta Thunberg?  I am not so sure I'm ready to make that commitment.

Many of us have been captivated by David Attenborough’s documentary films featuring various dimensions of the natural world.  What is less well known is Attenborough has received considerable criticism from environmental activists for his lack of attention to threats to the sustainability of the natural environment caused by human activity. 

My wife and I watched Attenborough’s most recent series, and it was obvious the criticisms had found their mark.  Each installment featured graphic assaults on the natural processes of the earth.  Some films were difficult to watch, as mother seals would not abandon their dead pups killed by plastics found everywhere in the oceans.  After we watched Attenborough’s documentary on the state of the oceans, our conversation turned to the predictable question of “what can we do?”

One of my resolutions for 2020 is to finish transitioning our household light fixtures to light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs. Honestly, I thought this was something my family had already done. However, when a light bulb over my bathroom sink recently went out, and I had to change it, I noticed that it was a compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb. Then, I looked around and found that we still have a good mix of CFL, incandescent, and halogen light bulbs in the house.
 
Why go to the trouble and expense of switching to LEDs? According to the Consumer Energy Alliance, LED bulbs produce light up to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs and 80% more efficiently than CFLs. Since my family is trying to reduce energy use, this sounds good. 
 

By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton President

As the video shows, consumer product manufacturers have long played a complicit role in causing and exacerbating current woes.  It's a perfect example of what Systems Thinking practitioners refer to as a "Shifting the Burden" scenario.

If you're reading this, climate change is probably already on your mind.  And, if your experience is like mine, chances are good you've had difficulty discussing it with some folks.   Our current climate crisis has been an unwelcome topic in some circles.

Moving past resistance to honest dialog is what tomorrow night's "24 Hours of Reality - Truth in Action"  event is all about.  But, thankfully, the tide is already turning.  I hear it in conversations, and we see it in the very positive response to our Sustainable Newton message. 

But, I was still pleasantly surprised by a report published this week by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication declaring:  "Georgia voters broadly support policies to address climate impacts and expand renewable energy in the state, and they want their elected officials to support those policies as well."

By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton President

Sustainable Newton is proud to do our part.  We're also a bit apprehensive.  Thursday at 6 pm is also the annual Lighting of Downtown Covington event on the square.  It's unfortunate timing, but as they say, it is what it is.  This being a global  event tied to a fixed window of time, we had limited scheduling options.  And, when we realized the conflict a couple of weeks ago, it was impossible to shift to a different time on Thursday, with newspaper articles, event posts, and flyers already in circulation.

Here's a little good news to share...  I recently had an arborist come out to our  home in Oxford to check on our sickly elm tree to see if it could be saved.  Thankfully, it can be. 

But, that’s only part of the good news.  When the arborist finished diagnosing the elm, he walked around to our large front yard and mentioned the space “would be perfect for some trees.”  He volunteered that Emory University had not been able to meet its goals for no net loss of trees on property owned by the university.  And, as a result, Emory was looking for nearby property owners interested in having trees planted on their property for free.

I attended last week’s Georgia Climate Conference as a Sustainable Newton board member and concerned citizen who has read what scientists from 13 federal government agencies predict for our region in the Fourth National Climate Assessment. As a parent and someone who cares about my fellow community members, I am deeply concerned about what will happen if we fail to take action.
 
I came away from the two-day conference reassured that despite knowing Georgia is poised to experience every extreme climate event there is, including intense heat, drought, inland flooding, sea level rise, and wildfire, our state has the potential to be a leader in the fight to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Below, I’ve highlighted a handful of projects that demonstrate why.

By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton President

Full disclosure:  I'm going to ask for money.  So, I owe an explanation of why you should give to Sustainable Newton.  But, if you're in a hurry or already convinced, just visit our Giving page.  Or look for more information on how to contribute, become a member, etc. on our Connect page.

For those still reading, I've got good news and bad news.  But, we can do something about the bad, which is why we need your help.

The good:  Every day, more Americans agree climate change is happening, that it's caused at least partly by human behavior, and we need to do something about it.  This is true even in Newton County, where the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication published the following findings about climate attitudes: