Of course, that's the best answer to the inevitable "paper or plastic" query you get in the checkout line at the grocery store. Of course, it's better to have a reusable tote or two with you than it is to take a paper or plastic grocery bag.

But what if the choice isn't as easy and obvious? What if the choice isn't so mundane? What if the choice is between two green options?

For example: what's the more responsible choice between a mattress made of organic rubber and a more traditional innerspring mattress made from organic cotton and wool?

That's the choice we wrestled with over the weekend at The Murie Center's board meeting. There are 22 beds in numerous rustic cabins on the Murie Ranch, and we want to improve the lodging experience for our guests.

For the board, it was a no brainer to vote for the upgrade to wool pillows and comforters. But there's a big enough difference in price between the organic rubber or cotton/wool mattresses to cause us to weigh other factors into our decision. Of course, I suggested we should consider the carbon footprint of each mattress–what are the greenhouse gas impacts of both the manufacturing and transportation to Jackson of the mattresses under consideration?

I'm still doing the math, but hope to have an answer for next Saturday's stats post.

In the meantime, I'm encouraging folks to begin to incorporate a thorough examination of carbon impact into every major buying decision they face.

Carbon Neutral Journal's choices are brought to you by Jorgensen Associates.

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