Cut Carbon: Lifestyle Changes

Brookline has 27,000 households. Imagine if each Brookline household reduced its carbon emissions by 5,000 pounds or more. That's our goal.

Low Carbon Diet workshops - also called EcoTeams - are the way we can make that goal happen. The workshops are based on the Low Carbon Diet book and program by David Gershon and the Empowerment Institute of New York. The program builds on two decades of learning and a highly successful pilot program where participants achieved a 22% (6,700 pound) annual CO2 reduction.

The actions are easy to take. They save carbons and they save costs. Here's how you can go on the Low Carbon Diet.

• On your own by borrowing the book Low Carbon Diet: A 30 Day program to Lose 5000 Pounds by David Gershon at the Brookline Public Library or buying it at Amazon or Brookline Booksmith
• Sign up to work with others at a Low Carbon Diet Workshop. Send us an email.
• Start your own Low Carbon Diet Workshop by getting together family members, neighbors, co-workers, faith community members, or friends (5-8 households) and following the program in the book you can borrow from the Brookline Public Library or buying it at Amazon or Brookline Booksmith

"Global warming is changing our world... The primary cause of global warming is carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels. The typical American household generates 55,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually... By contrast, the typical German household contributes 27,000 pounds and the average Swedish household's contribution is only 15,000 pounds. Clearly, we have much room for improvement. If the bad news is that individual Americans are a major part of the problem, the good news is that we can also be a major part of the solution. By making specific, targeted changes to actions we already take every day, we can significantly reduce our CO2 emissions." - from Low Carbon Diet, A 30 Day Program to Lose 5000 Pounds