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Caroline Staudt not only talks the talk, but walks (or runs) the walk to help folks in Winchester lower their carbon footprint.
It’s obvious the New Meadows Road resident is a runner and sure enough, has run the Boston Marathon several times, but she’s also a volunteer on the Climate Action Advisory Committee (CCAC).
It turns out that even runners have a fairly high carbon footprint. Staudt is a member of The Green Runners, which helps people avoid using fossil fuels. Their four “pillars” are cutting down on traveling modes, especially flying to get to a race; re-using running clothing, which Staudt says are made of plastic fiber because it’s breathable; eating “green,” although not necessarily becoming vegan; and raising awareness of the issues.
Staudt’s day job is a “home comfort advisor” for Elephant Energy, where she audits homes and makes recommendations about how to switch to all-electric. Winchester residents are already signed up for WinPower, which uses 44% renewable energy, and Staudt has been encouraging residents to sign up for renewables.
“In the fall,” Staudt says, “the cost gap between the two plans will be less than it is now, and all electric rates will be falling.”
Fellow CCAC member Ruth Trimarchi says Staudt is “a lucky find for the committee. With her business background she’s been able to facilitate messaging that’s accessible to the public.”
Staudt puts her money where her mouth is and is an investor in Tripulse clothing, athleticwear that uses only natural fibers.
“But don’t buy anything you don’t need,” she says.
Even donated clothing seldom gets re-used, and in that regard, she helped with research and the story development for a film, called Footprints on Katmai.
What Staudt wants recyclers to remember is that only 9% of plastic actually gets recycled. Her motto is, “When you throw something away, it’s not gone.”
