Low Carbon Network News: Ayouthfulonlinegroupthatcallsitselfthe“Low-CarbonTribe”isleadingthewaytoaneco-friendlylifestyle.
Tribemembers,whorangeinagefrom20to40,saytheyaretryingtoreducecarbondioxideemissionsinarelaxedandfashionableway.
Helpingsavetheplanetispartoftheirdailyroutine,theyclaim,citingthewaytheydress,whattheyeatandhowtheytravel.
Followingtheleadofgovernment-sponsoredenvironmentalgroups,thewebsiteInternetForestwaslaunchedonWorldEarthDay,April22,andoffersnetizenstipsonhowtobeaLow-CarbonTribemember.
Anyonecangetinvolved.
SupermodelJiangPeilinsaidshehasbeenwearingcottonforalongtime,becauseitishealthyandeco-friendly.Sheneverdrinksbottledwater,becauseplasticharmstheenvironment.
LiHuiying,a27-year-oldofficeworkerinBeijing,takesthesubwaytoworkeveryday,eventhoughsheboughtacarin2006.Sheseldomusesherair-conditionerathomeandintheofficeturnsitdownacoupleofnotchestosaveenergy.
Alowcarbonwayoflifeisinvogue,Jiangsaid.
“Itshowsyoungpeoplealsocareaboutsocietyandwetrytoinfluencepeoplearoundus.”
LiYongmei,aspokeswomanforInternetForest,launchedbyscienceandtechnologycompanyhutong.com,saysthewebsitehashad17millionvisitorssofar.
Shesaidthereareonlinediscussionswithenvironmentalistsandstaffmembersofnon-governmentalorganizationsliketheClimateGroup.
Itofferscarbon-savingadvicesuchaswashingclothesbyhand,eatinglessmeatandclimbingstairsinsteadofusingelevators.
LisaidtheseactivitiesandthecarbonsavingstheyentailarebasedontheVoluntaryCarbonStandard(VCS),initiatedbyTheClimateGroup,theInternationalEmissionsTradingAssociationandtheWorldEconomicForuminlate2005.
Sometribemembersbalancetheircarbondioxideemissionsbyplantingtrees.
CelebritieshavegotinontheactionandactressZhouXunsaidshespent6,000yuan($879)onbuyingandplanting238treesinBeijingatthebeginningofthisyear.