Making a fantasy team sport out of going green

Your vow today to go green can't really be a New Year's resolution. And since Lent will be over on Sunday, it can't really serve that obligation. So, since it's March, let me put this blog in terms that most of the basketball-hungry population will understand. CarbonRally does for inspiring green-living habits what March Madness does for multi-tiered sports playoff pools.

According to CarbonRally Founder Jason Karas (aka Birdman on the site), here's how it works: The Web site publishes regular "challenges" that encourage you and, more importantly any team you may be on, to do something or another to offset your impact on the environment in terms of greenhouse emissions.

Here's an example of a real one: "Are you a meat lover? Give it a rest! Don't eat any meat for two days this week." Each challenge outlines the individual impact -- in this case, you would reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 13.2 pounds. Over time, as a challenge unfolds, that info gets rolled up into a rally number: So far, Carbonrally participants have eliminated about 1.96 tons through this specific challenge, which is the equivalent of turning off all the electricity in one home for one month.

The fun part is when corporate teams start vying against each other, something that is happening more and more often among office colleagues, Karas said. Last month, for example, the leader among the more than 90 teams competing to do good was The Redwoods Group, an insurance company that has 44 members on its Carbonrally team. So far, the Redwoods team has eliminated more than 4.6 tons of carbon dioxide by more than rising to the occasion with the site's challenges.

Just think, your latest office pool could actually do good!