Carbon footprint and its reduction, to some people, sounds drastic. Yet here we are producing a lot of undesirable outputs. Things like garbage, heat and carbon dioxide need to change if we ever want to reduce global warming. But the environment has been getting it in the neck lately and probably will continue to do so for years to come. Our carbon emissions pose a threat to the future of Planet Earth unless something drastic is done.

Make A Difference, Carbon Footprint and Its Reduction

What Exactly Is a Carbon Footprint

Your carbon footprint and its reduction starts by determining exactly what is a carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases that you have produced because of normal daily activities.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the main gases that greenhouses gases and are produced by human activities. Greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere, which leads to higher temperatures.

The result is global warming, an increase in ocean levels, a rise in air temperatures, and other environmental changes.

Since the industrial revolution, we have been producing greenhouse gases at an alarming rate. The most common greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a by-product of fossil fuel combustion (such as coal-burning power plants).

The amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere has increased by around 40% since pre-industrial revolution. That now makes it the single largest contributor to global warming.

The carbon footprint is a measure of how much CO2 we add to the atmosphere because of our activities over one year. It’s calculated from data that you provide about yourself and your lifestyle.

This is then expressed as tons of CO2 equivalent per year per person or household.

Help To Fight Global Climate Change

Thinking about our carbon footprint and its reduction, most assume it’s just the use of vehicles and travelling. Our lifestyle choices have a more major impact than we realise.

There are many areas where one can reduce their imprint on the environment without sacrificing their quality of life. The first step is awareness, and the second step is to make some changes to your lifestyle.

Fighting global climate change is something that many people are doing. Not only do we have to reduce our carbon footprint. But we need to look at the effects of our actions on those around us.

The key thing to remember is that the climate is changing, and it will continue to do so. However, this does not mean that we should stop trying to reduce our carbon footprint or stop making changes in our lives.

It doesn’t mean that we should stop working towards a more sustainable future for ourselves, our children, and our planet.

We are all aware of the fact that we are living on a planet where the environment is being destroyed. The reason behind this destruction is our activity and negligence towards nature.

If we don’t make some effort to change our lifestyle, then we will have to face disastrous consequences in future.

According to scientists, global warming is one of the major causes of climate change. Some people think that it is just a myth and there is no need to worry about it but unfortunately, it’s not true at all.

Global warming is a very serious issue and it’s affecting our lives in many ways. This includes melting glaciers, rising sea levels and species extinction.

Shop Locally as Much as Possible

Every product that you consume causes some level of pollution. When you buy local, you’re helping with your carbon footprint and its reduction.

The carbon footprint of a product is the total greenhouse gas emissions produced by all the stages involved in making, using and disposing of it.

For example, when you buy a cup of coffee. Don’t forget the cup itself will have been manufactured from materials that require energy to extract and process.

Then there’s transport to get it to the store. And the electricity used to run the store’s lights and air conditioning. Finally, there’s waste. And in this case, plastic cups and lids that are difficult or impossible to recycle.

Buying local cuts out some of those stages because local producers don’t have to ship their goods as far. Neither do they need to package them in plastic containers for shipping.

This reduces both greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and packaging materials.

The distance between where something is produced and where it is consumed matters a lot when calculating its carbon footprint. Simply because transportation is one of the most polluting parts of our economy.

Especially if it involves aeroplanes or ships burning fossil fuels as they travel across oceans or continents.

When we buy locally produced food, we support farmers who care about the land they work. We also keep our money in our own communities instead of sending it out of the country or around the world.

Turn Off the Lights and Save Money

According to some studies, over 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions are a result of residential and commercial buildings. The largest contributor is simply because we are, at times, careless with turning off all the lights that we use.

You’d think that people would try to reduce their carbon footprint, but most have not made steps towards this goal.

We all know about the harmful effects of carbon emissions and how it is a major contributor to global warming. But most people don’t realise that carbon footprint and its reduction requires just a few changes in our daily lives.

There are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint and make a difference in the future by reducing your use of electricity and other resources. Some of these steps are very simple and easy to do, while others may require more effort.

Here are a couple of easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint:

• Turn off lights when you aren’t using them. Turning off lights when you aren’t using them is the easiest way to save electricity. Which saves money on your bills as well as reduces pollution from power plants.

It also reduces the amount of greenhouse gases released into the air through coal-burning power plants.

• Unplug appliances when not in use. Most appliances continue drawing power even when they aren’t being used.

Unplugging appliances such as televisions, computers, printers, and microwaves. All this helps to reduce your energy consumption and prevent fires caused by overheated electrical wiring.

The best way to reduce our carbon footprints is to act. We can all make a difference by turning off lights when we leave the room, and unplugging appliances when they aren’t in use.

Avoid Disposable Products Whenever Possible

Most people can’t go a day without disposable products. Use kitchen towels instead of paper towels. Increase your personal recycling.

Take the time to sharpen your pencils instead of buying new ones. None of these things will make a dent in the worlds, or your, carbon footprint alone.

But every little bit helps when it comes to your carbon footprint and its reduction. And perhaps you can find replacements for products like disposable gloves. Or those plastic utensils that help reduce waste from products that you frequently buy.

The amount of waste increases as our population rises. This includes plastic waste that ends up in oceans and lakes, polluting the water supply, and endangering marine life.

It’s well known that plastic is bad for the environment. It’s also bad for your health. In fact, most disposable gloves contain toxic chemicals like dioxin and ethylbenzene, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

They linked these chemicals to cancer. And they may affect your nervous system if they get into the body through inhalation or skin contact.

And it doesn’t help that they make disposable gloves from non-renewable resources like oil and natural gas. Meaning they take up more space in landfills than they should.

You can reduce your carbon footprint by changing the way you live. Sometimes these changes are simple and quick, while other times they require more effort. But if you want to make a difference, it’s worth it.

Solar And Wind Energy Can Help You Make a Difference

For many people, the rising cost of energy has led them to look for ways to save on the cost of their electricity. There are several good ways to save on the cost of your utilities.

However, the most effective, and beneficial, is to switch from using carbon-based fuels to renewable, alternative energy sources.

How much will switching to green power cost you? Will it be worth it? The answer is yes! In fact, it’s already being done by many companies and individuals around the world.

Some reasons you should use green power:

• It’s good for our planet. According to National Geographic, global warming is one of the greatest threats facing our planet today.

You can help your carbon footprint and its reduction by using green power sources such as solar power or wind energy. You’ll be helping to reduce global warming by reducing CO2 emissions from traditional fossil fuels like coal.

• It’s good for your health. According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), burning fossil fuels releases dangerous pollutants into our air. These can cause serious health issues, such as asthma attacks and lung cancer in children and adults alike.

Besides its impact on climate change, the burning of fossil fuels has other negative effects on the environment. For instance, acid rain and smog formation from sulphur dioxide emissions.

Also, particulate matter pollution from soot. Mercury contamination from coal-fired power plants. Air pollution in general is because of vehicle tailpipe emissions. Mining waste runoff into water supplies. Oil spills, and much more.

Walking And Biking May Be Faster Than Driving

While the subject of carbon footprint and its reduction can be serious and overwhelming, we believe it doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint every day is easier than you may think.

One simple (yet perhaps sometimes difficult) way to reduce your carbon footprint is to simply walk or bike more often.

Many people assume that they need a car to get around, but this isn’t always the case. You can get by with a bike, or even a scooter if you live in an urban area and save yourself some money while doing so.

In fact, if your commute consists of 1-2 miles each way, walking is often faster than driving.

If you’re not sure where to start, begin by looking for ways that you can be more efficient about getting around your neighbourhood.

People who walk or bike to work tend to be in better physical shape than those who don’t. This can save you money on health care costs down the road.

It also helps reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions because fewer cars mean less pollution in our air and water. And by reducing traffic congestion, walking reduces the risk of accidents that occur when drivers are distracted by cell phones or other devices while driving.

If you live near a grocery store, try walking instead of driving there. If you live near work, try walking to work or taking public transportation instead of driving.

If you’re out of shape and can’t imagine biking to work on hills, start with a stationary bike at home while watching TV.

Get To Work on Your Carbon Footprint and Its Reduction

High energy consumption, pollution and environmental damage have become one of the main problems in the world today. Global industrial and economic development has left its mark on our planet as well as on each of us.

Taking care of the environment is typically a cause that people think about at some point, but then don’t really follow up on. Well, being concerned about the environment and doing something to help it are two different things.

Carbon footprints are something that many of us are not aware of. Some companies and individuals know of them. Yet, something or the other keeps them from acting. Whatever the reason might be — it’s time to get busy with your carbon footprint and its reduction.

The amount of greenhouse gases produced by you is your carbon footprint. It includes the emissions from all the activities that take place within your company or organisation.

The biggest contributors to this are things like transport, heating and cooling, electricity use, and waste disposal.

We need to reduce our carbon footprints because climate change is real and it’s happening now. To date, scientists have found over 15,000 different signs of climate change across Planet Earth’s surface and throughout its oceans.

It is good to be aware of how your lifestyle adds to global climate change and to experiment with ways you can reduce your carbon footprint.

Carbon footprint is a measure of how much carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHG) are generated because of an activity or the consumption of goods.

The term carbon footprint refers to both direct emissions (CO2 emitted from burning fossil fuels) and indirect emissions (e.g., CO2 released when producing electricity at a power plant).

A carbon footprint can be estimated for an individual, household, institution, business, city, state, or country.

You can reduce your carbon footprint by:

• Reducing your use of fossil fuels. Buy fuel-efficient cars and appliances, use public transportation, or ride your bike whenever possible. If you do own a car, consider purchasing one that has lower emissions than average for its size and class.
• Choosing energy-efficient light bulbs or compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) over traditional incandescent bulbs. Turn off the lights when you leave a room.

Use compact fluorescents instead of incandescent wherever possible. They use around 75% less energy than traditional light bulbs to produce the same amount of light.

You’ll save money in energy costs as well as reduce pollution from fewer greenhouse gas emissions produced by electricity production plants which burn coal.