Carbon footprint actually means carbon reduction – Discover the effects of carbon footprint, the causes and why it matters most today
Some of us have heard about carbon footprint in the news. Others might have read about it on the internet. Carbon is everywhere, literally. I mean, it is in the food we eat, the air we breathe and the things we buy. In short, you should know that carbon is a part of our life now. The sad part is, too much of carbon is not a good thing – it is dangerous, or as I call it – the fatal fume.
Please, we don’t mean to scare you. We believe the more you know about carbon footprint, the more you will learn to reduce it. So, let us begin.
Carbon Footprint
The carbon footprint is the total emission of Greenhouse gases caused by an individual, a community or a country. It is measured as tons of CO2 or equivalent gases emitted per year. Higher the emissions larger is the Carbon footprint and vice-versa. Societies with a high consumption culture often result in a larger carbon footprint. On the other hand, communities that have a frugal view to recycle and reuse goods have a smaller carbon footprint. Also, they do not readily discard products. Thus, resulting in smaller loads of greenhouse gases.
Causes of Carbon footprint
Certain human activities like cooking, heating, and the use of electricity add to our carbon footprint. Now, we cannot avoid human activities, but we can be careful with our choices of consumption and carbon creation.
Burning Fossil fuels
As you know, fossil fuels are guilty of GHGs and produce tons of carbon.
Being energy-intensive
Manufacturing and transportation of goods like utensils, plastics, clothes, electronics are energy-intensive.
Release of CFCs
Spray Perfumes, deodorants, and paints also release harmful CFCs into the atmosphere.
Dependency on chemicals
The use of Fertilizer and livestock rearing for meat is another leading cause of GHGs.
Effects of carbon footprint
Climate change – the disastrous effect of a growing carbon in our atmosphere have begun to show. With the rise of global temperature, new diseases are likely to crop up. Health conditions will deteriorate. The rising sea levels and unpredictable rains can result in food scarcity. And, the global scale of it is beyond imagination.
Thankfully, you and I can do our bit to control the nasty carbon – every small step counts. Let’s take a step together towards Carbon reduction today.
Carbon reduction
You can contribute to reducing your share of the carbon. The answer lies in our everyday lifestyle choices!
- Buy biodegradable goods whenever possible
- Articles made from wood and metal for furniture and decor rather than fibre and plastics
- Switch to less energy-intensive devices like fans rather than ACs
- Switch off the lights, fans, and other devices while leaving the room
- Plant more trees in your garden or your neighbourhood. You could pot plants in your balcony if open spaces are not available
- Buy organic vegetables, fruits, and other goods. Reduce the use of disposable items like carrying bags and packaging material
- Try to donate used clothes or upscale them into bags or kitchen cloth
- Choose clothes and home linen made from natural fabrics with natural dyes rather than synthetic ones
- Adopt habits that conserve the environment
There is an urgent need to address the issue. On a personal level, we need to adopt eco-friendly habits to restore the balance on our planet. The earth is the only home we have, and we got to save it from our increasing carbon footprints. Today is the time to reduce the carbon at our home.