Jonathan Foley lived the American dream: a five-bedroom house on a large double lot, a wife, a young daughter, two dogs, two cars, and two jobs in the city.
One day Jonathan, a climatologist at the University of Wisconsin researching how humans are altering the global climate , worked out how much this lifestyle was costing in terms of atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions. The family's direct emissions of carbon dioxide calculated at 42,000 pounds per year (19,050 kilograms). This is slightly less than average for two adults in the United States*.
Once Johnathon understood his family's contribution to global warming he knew they had to make changes. From Audubon.org:
His examination of his family's role in the process was a turning point. "Am I willing to put my money where my mouth is?" Foley asked himself. If not, he figured, he had no business telling others to do their part.As the headline suggests, the rest is history. Find out how the Foleys went about cutting their GHG emissions by 65%. This Audubon Magazine article has plenty of practical links for US readers interested in what companies can help them cut their own greenhouse gas emissions.
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