Isra-Mart srl : Environmental expert gives advice to reduce carbon footprint

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Isra-Mart srl news:

"Reduce, reduce, reduce."

That was the message Alison Gannett had for 50 attendees at a conference about combating global warming at Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort on Sunday.

Gannett, an environmental expert, stressed how critical it is for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint in the battle against global warming.

"Climate change is something that is happening now. But there are so many ways you can have a positive effect," said Gannett, who is also a champion extreme skier.

Here's the situation, as both Gannett and conference sponsor PennFuture see it: The earth is getting warmer because of the extreme levels of carbon dioxide produced by industry and the nature of modern lifestyles. If things remain as they are, expect 100-degree days to be the norm during Pennsylvania summers, not the exception.

Cold water fisheries will close and much agriculture and plant life will die. Ski resorts will lose much of their business, as the winters will grow more and more truncated.

However, Gannett, who has worked with Al Gore, said that a shift in behaviors, especially ones related to carbon dioxide, can mitigate global warming.

Her suggestions for curbing your carbon footprint:

* When traveling on an airplane, pack lighter. A lighter aircraft is one that uses less fuel.
* Use a bike. Gannett goes as far as using a bike to travel between states when she has speaking engagements in states that neighbor each other.
* Use public transportation.
* Shut off power strips when they are not in use. Shutting off power strips will save you more money than buying and using a solar panel.
* Hang up your laundry on an outdoor rack instead of using a dryer.
* Stop drinking bottled water. Much gasoline is used to transport crates of bottled water to the supermarket.
* Grow your own food if you can.
* Forget opting for a paper cup over Styrofoam. Choose neither. If you're taking your hot beverage to stay, ask if you can have a porcelain cup. This way, you produce no garbage.

"I was just surprised by how many things I thought didn't have any a negative effect on the environment but actually do," said Alexis Melusky, who came from Philadelphia to attend the conference.