Four Corners Office For Resource Efficiency, Durango, Colorado

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Lose 5000 Pounds in 30 Days!

And no, we're not talking about fat.

We're talking carbon footprint. And why should you shrink your footprint by going on a carbon diet?

The resources we all use on a daily basis represents half of America’s carbon footprint and our purchases influence the other half. Households represent between 50% and 90% of a community’s carbon footprint.

Going on a low-carbon diet has many benefits:

Reduce your energy bills and save your $
Decrease our dependence on foreign oil
Decrease energy use- there will be more for later
Cut emissions for:
- improved air quality
- slow the effects of climate change (if you believe in stuff like that)
Brag to your friends about how much you've lost!

Whether you buy into global warming or you just want to save money, a low carbon diet makes sense (and cents)!

How the clubs work

Members choose their own goals to pursue such as increasing recycling, using low flow shower heads or just changing out a few light bulbs to CFLs.

Individual households will report their progress at monthly get-togethers. The chosen club leader will report the data to 4CORE for tabulation of the total amount of CO2 that has been kept out of the atmosphere.

Diet Directions

Step 1: Weigh In and Report it

Figure out your current carbon footprint by using the carbon calculator.

To do this you will need the following information for the past year:

Number of gallons of trash per week (tall kitchen bag = 13 gal)
Total kWh usage
Total therms natural gas
Total gallons propane
Total gallons fuel oil
Miles and miles per gallon on each vehicle (up to three)
Air miles

Tip: Rather than calculating all these numbers from the past year’s bills, you can call your utility companies or go to your on-line account to get the most updated information. Here are some local utilities

Pledge to Lose

Or click here to pledge

This information will be logged and tracked on the Low Carbon Diet Forum.

Step 2: Get it Together

Optional but fun: Find a group of 5-10 friends, family, or co-workers to take the plunge with you- everything is more fun with friends, and a little group competition makes things lively!

You can diet on your own, as a household, form your own club, or find a group to join on 4CORE's Low Carbon Diet Forum.

T o start a new group, create a username and password, then start a new topic. Here is a preview:

Step 3: Start the diet!

Here are some things you can do at no cost (see the tracking sheets below for more):

Eliminate the need for one dryer load per week - dry clothes outside
Set thermostat at 65-68 deg when active in home & 55-58 deg at night
Reduce shower time to 5 min. or less
Reduce dishwasher use by one load per week
Minimize hot water use in hand dishwashing (Bonus Credit for an Energy Star front-loading washer)
Switch one load of laundry a week from hot to cold water
Set water heater thermostat at 120 deg.

Step 4: Track it

Record your progress on the following spreadsheets:
(courtesy of Montezuma Climate Action Network, or M-CAN)

Individual Carbon Loss tracking sheet

Your Club's tracking sheet

Step 5: Share

Loading... Or report your carbon reduction here.

And/or upload your group's progress to the Low Carbon Diet Forum. See the progress of other groups, and share ideas too.

This information will be logged and tracked on the
Low Carbon Diet Forum.

Tips and Guidelines

Meetings

Regular meetings should be held monthly over a period of three to six months. Ideally, these should be held during the first week of the month to gather the previous month’s information. A potluck is a great way to do this!

Recommended club size is five to ten persons.

Members

Choose a club leader
Initially and finally, calculate carbon usage by using the carbon calculator at www.empowermentinstitute.net * under Low Carbon Diet Climate Change Program.
Print this information and keep for your records.
Discuss new ways to reduce carbon emissions with other club members.
Create a personalized plan to reduce carbon emissions.
Report specific changes made to leader during monthly meetings.

Leader

Maintains contact with individual club members
Disseminates information as provided by M-CAN
Provides M-CAN with contact information for club members
Collects records of individual household carbon reductions monthly
Collates information or assigns someone to do this
Sends club carbon reduction totals to simma.w@gmail.com by the 10th of each month.

M-CAN or 4CORE will provide (at your request)

orientation meeting and starter materials
regular updates on ways to save
informative articles and resources
events - including films and workshops
report on monthly total carbon emission savings on this web page

Other Resources
Empowerment Institute: Low Carbon Diet Club carbon savings are based on information from the book, Low Carbon Diet by David Gershon. It is recommended that your club use this book as a reference. M-CAN has purchased some copies for resale (contact Sue – 882-2155), or the book can be found at your local library.
	Montezuma Climate Action Network (M-CAN)
4CORE Low Carbon Diet Club Forum

Home | About Us | Get Involved | Contact

Four Corners Office For Resource Efficiency, Inc.
Mailing addres: 10 Town Plaza, #190, Durango, CO 81301
Physical Address: 835 E. 2nd Ave, #230
970-259-1916 / fax 888-779-3963 / email