Need for Reducing Carbon Footprint

What is Carbon Footprint?

By definition, carbon footprint is a measure of the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) emissions of a defined population, system or activity, considering all relevant sources, sinks and storage within the spatial and temporal boundary of the population, system or activity of interest. Calculated as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) using the relevant 100-year global warming potential (GWP100).

To put it in simple words, it is the amount of carbon dioxide and methane (greenhouse gases) released into the environment by one's daily activities.

Why Should You Reduce Your Carbon Footprint?

Increase in greenhouse gases is the primary event associated with climate change which has led to global warming. There is now very strong evidence and almost universal agreement that significant recent global warming cannot be explained just by natural causes. The changes seen over recent years, and those predicted for the next century, are considered to be mainly the result of human behaviour.  As industry and our livelihoods depend on fossil fuels, the balance has shifted to cause an excessive amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

While the average global temperature keeps increasing, on a day-to-day level the climate is changing in unpredictable ways.  We are already experiencing more extreme heat waves and drought, and with the warmer conditions causing glaciers and sea ice to melt, this leads to rising sea levels and more frequent and severe flooding around the world.  Natural disasters such as those caused by global warming will also effect our food supplies.  More frequent cases of flooding and drought will wipe out harvests leading to large hikes in world food prices, as well as shortages.

Calculate Your Own Carbon Footprint

Ever wondered about your own Carbon footprint? What impact your day to day activities have on the environment? What can you do to contribute your bit towards the environment?

Wait no more! Click on the link below to calculate your Carbon Footprint NOW!

Calculate my Carbon Footprint!

Ways to Reduce Carbon Footprint

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint From Driving

• Alternatives to driving. When possible, walk or ride your bike in order to avoid carbon emissions completely. Carpooling and public transportation drastically reduce CO2 emissions by spreading them out over many riders.
• Drive a low carbon vehicle. High mileage doesn’t always mean low CO2 emissions. All vehicles have an estimated miles-per-gallon rating. Electric cars emit no CO2 if they’re charged with clean electricity.
• Get a hitch-mounted cargo rack. Don’t buy a minivan or SUV if you don’t need 4WD and/or will only occasionally need the extra space. A receiver hitch and a rack like this one only cost a few hundred bucks. Avoid roof-top boxes, which cost much more, increase aerodynamic drag, and decrease fuel economy.
• Driving style. Speeding and unnecessary acceleration reduce mileage by up to 33%, waste gas and money, and increase your carbon footprint.
• Tire inflation and other tuning. Properly inflated tires improve your gas mileage by up to 3%. It also helps to use the correct grade of motor oil, and to keep your engine tuned, because some maintenance fixes, like fixing faulty oxygen sensors, can increase fuel efficiency by up to 40%.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint From Air Travel

• General. Until petroleum-based aviation fuel is replaced, you should avoid flying when possible, fly less frequently, fly shorter distances, and fly economy class.
• Leisure Air Travel. Take fewer and longer vacations that are far away, and more frequent and driveable “staycations” closer to home.
• Work Air Travel. Increase your use of video-conferencing tools like Skype and Facetime.
• What class? Economy class is best, for the same reasons as carpooling and public transportation. Each flyer’s share of a flight’s carbon emissions is relatively less because it’s spread out over more people.

Reduce Your Home Energy Carbon Footprint

• Insulate and seal your home. Reduce drafts and air leaks with caulk, insulation, and weather stripping. Many states offer programs and incentives to facilitate this, and a great example is Energy Upgrade California.
• Appliances. Make energy efficiency a primary consideration when choosing a new furnace, air conditioning unit, dishwasher, or refrigerator. Products bearing the ENERGY STAR label are recognized for having superior efficiency.
• Lighting. Turn off lights you’re not using and when you leave the room. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent or LED ones.
• Thermostat. Don’t set it too high or low. Install a programmable model to turn off the heat/air conditioning when you’re not home.
• Solar. Add solar panels to the roof of your home. This costs a little more than the above options, but many providers offer financing options which minimize upfront costs. Two examples are SolarCity and SunRun. If you live in a state with a Net Metering law, you could eliminate your electricity bill or even earn money by selling electricity back to the grid.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint From Food

• Eat locally-produced and organic food. It has been estimated that 13% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions result from the production and transport of food. Transporting food requires petroleum-based fuels, and many fertilizers are also fossil fuel-based.

Other Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

• Water usage. Lower the amount of energy used to pump, treat, and heat water by washing your car less often, using climate-appropriate plants in your garden, installing drip irrigation so that plants receive only what they need, and making water-efficient choices when purchasing shower heads, faucet heads, toilets, dishwashers and washing machines.
• Reuse and recycle.  It has been estimated that 29% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions result from the “provision of goods,” which means the extraction of resources, manufacturing, transport, and final disposal of “goods” which include consumer products and packaging, building components, and passenger vehicles, but excluding food. By buying used products and reselling or recyling items you no longer use, you dramatically reduce your carbon footprint from the “provision of goods.”
• Support clean energy sources.  Whenever you can, advocate for clean alternatives to fossil fuels, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and appropriately designed hydroelectric and biomass energy projects.

Videos Related to Carbon Footprint

Here are some videos related to Carbon Footprint:

What is Carbon Footprint?

What are the effects of Carbon Footprint?

Reducing Our Carbon Footprint- US Energy and Environment Research Center