Trying to make Indiana Carbon Neutral
Daniel Poynter, talking about Carbon Neutral Indiana
On August 3, I was one of more than 150 people who attended the Hoosier Climate Party at the High Alpha Building on Mass Ave. Organized by Daniel Poynter, founder of Carbon Neutral Indiana, it was a chance for attendees to socialize, to network, and to learn about strategies to reduce their carbon footprints. Each guest received a free copy of Poyntner’s 101-page book Carbon Neutral Indiana: a practical guide to climate optimism. (Guests were also encouraged to join the virtual breakout sections that will occur on August 31), linked above.)
In the preface, Poynter writes about the urgency of the climate crisis. He writes about learning that his grandchildren likely won’t be able to see a coral reef because the carbon released during our day-to-day activities “doesn’t just stay in the air.” That is, the carbon dioxide absorbed by the air has the same effect on coral as Coca Cola does on your teeth. The carbon in the air also makes it easier for the atmosphere to retain heat, which leads to more powerful storms, the melting of glaciers, and sea-level rise. It’s a problem that’s easy enough to see clearly, provided you keep your eyes open, but the solutions aren’t always easy to put into practice.
It would be convenient if the solution to the problem of climate change was as simple as, say, putting out your plastics to be recycled. The fact that it’s not nearly enough makes many people give up hope. Some of us even deny that there is a problem in the first place. But Poyntner shows us that hope is warranted, provided that we take action, and he gives us case studies of people who have taken action.
Take, for example, the story of Lauren Clemens, the Assistant Director of Sustainability for Bloomington, Indiana, who was able to funnel funds from the American Rescue Plan into helping local nonprofits make their buildings more energy efficient through installing solar panels, installing LED lighting, among other interventions. Individual homeowners can benefit from tax credits and other incentives to install solar panels and make their houses more energy-efficient.
You will also find helpful charts geared towards people considering such solutions--not only in the realm of electricity use, but in the realm of transportation, agriculture, and industry. Handy charts detail some of the costs, benefits, and challenges of reducing your overall carbon footprint. The final chapter, “Enabling Conditions,” is the one most focused on education, community building, and calling people to action, which is what the Carbon Neutral Indiana organization is all about.
Are you curious about steps that you can take right now to help alleviate the climate crisis? Click here.
