Calling on all bloggers! Help make a difference by simply adding the 350 challenge badge on your blog. It is called the 350 challenge because their goal is to offset 122,500 lbs. of carbon of the first 350 bloggers to submit on their site. That means, when you post their badge on your blog, they’ll offset 350 lbs. of carbon in your name. Isn’t that just COOL?

Let’s face it, reducing our carbon footprints on our own is somewhat very, VERY challenging. Humans, being creatures of habit, makes it almost impossible to reduce our current carbon footprints if we don’t make a conscious effort now. Even with the dedication and focus, there’s only so much we can reduce. Unless you want to fall off the face of the earth and not use any of our creature comforts like electricity, I commend you for being so supportive of Mother Earth. But seriously, that is not too realistic so every little thing helps. 350 lbs. of carbon is like using your car for two weeks. So, I say, yes, it could really help.

What they don’t make painstakingly clear on their website is that they’ll offset 350 pounds of carbon for THE FIRST 350 people who submit their sites (I had to find this out on the 350.org website). It also doesn’t say how many people have already submitted their blogs but since it’s a relatively new campaign, they can always change the rules at some point. I’m hoping they do.

After a few clicks, what I found was even more rewarding. I learned about 350.org and Brighter Planet. Check them out! Brighter Planet uses credit card points to fund and support renewable energy products while 350 is an organization that is campaigning for awareness. They want the word to spread out that we need to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from 387 ppm (parts per million) to 350 ppm to avoid any more drastic climate changes. Since we currently increase 2 ppm each year, this means we have to stop adding to our carbon footprints now and start reducing it.

Every little thing helps! I may or may not have been able to make the first 350 bloggers to post the badge, but the things I learned because of posting it here is even more invaluable to me. It has spurred me to write and help spread the word. As James Thurber once said: “Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness.” So let’s stop laying blame or give up on our future, let’s use the awareness we gather and move forward. Reduce our carbon footprint now.