Welcome BRIDGES staff!

Our very wise fearless leader and President, Jim Boyd, recently stated these wise words, "The BRIDGES Center is both a gift and a challenge to our shared community...Our building is "green" so that we can contribute to maintaining a healthy environment on our little part of the Earth, and so that all persons who come to the BRIDGES Center will have a healthy place from which to build strong lives and an extraordinary community in Memphis, Tennessee."

Now, we are spreading the wealth of wisdom and leadership with the help of O2E-Ordinary to Extraordinary: Learning & Leading Green! O2E provides experiential education and training for a diverse group of youth and adults to become leaders for environmental sustainability.

So, here it is, BRIDGES staff...this is OUR very own O2E-Impact headquarters. Please visit this website to brag/blog about all of the wonderful, sustainable acts that you are taking, in response to our O2E staff training experience.

Remember that we set a goal of collectively reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 201,094.50 pounds, simply by following up on our personal sustainability commitments. (Already forgot what a greenhouse gas emission is??? Don't worry...O2E can help.

Greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere by natural and industrial activities; they absorb and emit radiation into the atmosphere. This causes the greenhouse effect, which is currently raising the temperature of our planet to fatal levels, a.k.a. global warming. Greenhouse gases (GGE) on Earth are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, oxone, nitrous oxide and CFCs. The United States is 2nd, only to China, in GGE; since 2006, activities in the U.S. have emitted 5,800 megatonnes of GGE into the atmosphere. This is a huge problem. According to the United Nations, GGE will be a $2 trillion market by 2012. We can do something!!!

The O2E Challenge--10 Acts of Sustainability that Will Make an Extraordinary Impact on Our Community!

1. If 1 Memphian turns the water off while they brush their teeth, 2,600 gallons of water would have have to be purified, resulting in a reduction of GGE by 5,850 pounds per year.
2. If 1 Memphian planted just one tree, 23 pounds of carbon will be sequestered each year. (Carbon sequestration: the storage of carbon dioxide in a solid material through biological or physical processes; sequestration stores CO2 instead of releasing it into the atmosphere)
3. If 1 Memphis household replaced just one light bulb with a CFL (compact fluorescent lamb), we would reduce GGE by 500 pounds per year.
4. If 1 Memphian spends just $1 of their weekly food budget on local products for one year, they will reduce GGE by 1.4 tons per year.
5. If 1 Memphis household changes their air filter every 3 months, we would reduce GGE by 305 pounds per year.
6. If 1 Memphis household turns off one light while at work or school, 208 kwhs will be saved, reducing GGE by 35 pounds per year.
7. If 1 Memphis household were to apply low-e film to their windows, there would be a reduction in GGE of 1,782 poundes per year.
8. If 1 Memphian recycled 1 plastic bottle, they would reduce GGE by 1.5 pounds per year.
9. If 1 Memphis household subscribed to one TVA-green power block for one year, GGE would be reduced by 3,000 pounds per year.
10. If 1 Memphis household reduced their water heater temperature by only 20 degrees, they would reduce GGE by 1,300 pounds per year.

When you brag/blog about your acts of sustainability on this site, please enter your information in the following format:

1. In the "Title" of your blog entry, simply put the total # of pounds of GGE you have reduced so far.
2. Then, in the text box of your entry, put your name, your act of sustainability, repeat your # of GGE pounds reduced, and any other thoughts, feelings, etc. about your own journey to becoming a Leader for Sustainability!
   
3. By clicking the image icon on your blog entry page, you can also upload images/photos of yourself in action--being a Leader for Sustainability! And we really encourage you all to upload photos!

I'll enter my 1st act of sustainability, and please use my entry as an example of the format to use.

Thank you, and have fun!!! Let's see how quickly we can reach of goal of 201,094.50 pounds of GGE reductions!!!