Personal Carbon Footprinting
Photo by Ｋｕｃｈｉｈｉｇｅ Ｓａｂｏｔｅｎ on Unsplash
A carbon footprint is a measure of the climate change impact of any person, organization, event, or product. It is the total greenhouse gas emissions that come from the production, use, and end-of-life of a product or service. It includes carbon dioxide and others, including methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming.
The higher your carbon footprint, the more significant your contribution to global warming and, subsequently, climate change. The overall consumer demand can be reduced while taking individual action to lower our carbon emissions.
A personal carbon footprint is defined as what we leave behind due to moving about, consuming, eating, and using resources like energy. One of the studies estimates that each inhabitant on our planet produces an average of almost four tons of CO2 every year. This study also says that we all need to reduce our carbon footprints to less than two tons per year by 2050 (Source: The Nature Conservancy). This is one of the best ways to ensure that temperatures stop rising and don't reach the dreaded 2 °C thresholds, exacerbating climate change and transforming it into an irreversible problem.
Measuring the personal carbon footprint
When calculating a carbon footprint, several factors are taken into consideration. The carbon footprint is measured by the people's lifestyle and regular activities that result in greenhouse gas emissions. Some of the most common examples of these lifestyle factors and activities include:
Transport use
Electricity use
Dietary choices
Purchasing habits
General waste
Thus, the carbon footprint is measured by considering your household size, the electric appliances efficiencies, transportation usage, including cars and flights, eating habits, recycling practices, etc.
It is difficult to add up one's carbon footprint. Although online calculators can help give a rough estimate of your carbon footprint based on the size of your household, the efficiency of your appliances, how much you drive or fly, what you eat, and how much you recycle, however, this isn't perfect. But still, it is a suitable way to measure your activities, so you can understand roughly how much CO2 they generate and take steps to reduce your carbon footprint.
Reducing the personal carbon footprint
The first step is to understand the factors contributing to your carbon footprint, which can curtail your usage on the environment. Often, small changes in our habits and lifestyle make a big difference in the long run. Here are some measures:
· Insulate your home
Cooling and heating the living space could be expensive as well as an energy-intensive process. People can make their homes retain heat during the winter and stay cool in summer while insulating walls and roofs. It also means less energy will be used and thereby reducing the carbon footprint and household bills.
· Switch to renewables
Household emissions can be reduced and save money on energy bills while changing to a power distribution company that provides solar, wind, or hydroelectric energy. Installing photovoltaic solar panels on the roof is the easiest and effective solution for reducing energy bills and carbon emissions.
Buy energy-efficient appliances
Electrical appliances are becoming more and more efficient by the year. While buying energy-efficient appliances like light bulbs or choosing appliances with a high energy star rating, the home becomes more eco-friendly.
Energy conservation and efficiency
Unplug your electronic equipment, and don't leave your phone on charge when the battery is already full. It is an acceptable practice to switch off the lights, appliances, and chargers when they're not in use. Getting a smart meter to keep an eye on your energy use will go a long way in helping you determine where you could use less energy.
Turning your thermostat setting to just 2 degrees cooler in winter and 2 degrees warmer in summer can save 2,000 pounds of CO2 each year. So to get the most savings in both money and energy, invest in a smart thermostat. Keep the A/C filters clean to keep the A/C operating at peak efficiency.
Dry your clothes naturally whenever possible instead of using power-guzzling dryers. Defrost your refrigerator and freezer regularly.
Use less water
Most people don't realize that processing and delivering water to our homes consume a lot of energy. What's more, it's also relatively energy-intensive to heat the stored water. So, by using less water, you can help the environment and lower your carbon footprint. For example, run the dishwasher and the washing machine only when complete. Take shorter, less frequent showers, try turning off the taps when brushing your teeth, and only boiling the water you need. Wash your car less often and plant drought-tolerant plants in your garden and yard.
Food and Diet
The food we consume has a notable impact on the environment. For example, meat and dairy products require much land, water, and energy to produce and generate methane, a greenhouse gas. In addition, food shipped from outside uses a lot more resources than local produce.
It is better to reduce meat in your diet and to shop for locally sourced food. Additionally, support your local farmers' market, consume seasonal food and avoid wasting food.
Avoid using disposable straws and ditch plastic cutlery and paper plates.
Use sustainable transport use.
Walk, bike, carpool, use mass transit, or ride in and drive more energy-efficient vehicles. Fly less and fly direct. Purchase a carbon offset if you have to fly. Use carpooling or public transport such as trains, busses, and coaches as it carries many people and is often a more sustainable form of travel. Consider an electric car. Also, EVs can be more cost-effective to run.
Check your car regularly and go for service regularly to keep the emission control systems operating at peak efficiency. Keep the tires adequately inflated to maximize mileage. Turn off the engine if it sits idle for more than half a minute.
Clothing
It makes environmental ( and economic) sense to take good care of your clothes to enable them to last longer, avoiding the need for replacement. Buy responsibly made clothes, e.g., made from recycled material or with an eco-label. Avoid Mass Market and shunning fast fashion, which consumes more energy to manufacture.
Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Apply these 4 Rs wherever possible.
Refuse Single-Use Plastic. Refuse straws and polystyrene containers.
Reduce your consumption wherever possible
Reuse your bags when you shop and reduce the amount of plastic you buy by opting for unpackaged food
Recycle your waste. Compost your food waste.
Going Shopping
Bringing an environmentally friendly reusable bag to the grocery store is a good practice. It is a shocking fact that every plastic bag takes 500 years to decompose in the landfill. The apparent strategy is to consume less and opt for quality over quantity to cut down your carbon footprint.
Another strategy is called source reduction, i.e., to avoid buying products that have excessive packaging. In addition, buying the large size rather than smaller ones can also help you cut out plastic packaging.
Another simple strategy is to stop buying water in plastic bottles and instead get a reusable water bottle keeping it always filled.
The above mentioned initiatives towards reducing carbon footprint and climate change cannot show overnight results. Also, it may be impossible to do away with your carbon footprint, but it can be reduced to a great extent while making small changes in your individual life. Once you do that, you will know you have done your bit to fight climate change and global warming and taken down your planet-killing contribution to the best extent possible.
In the words of Robert Swan OBE, "The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it."
Written by Inderjit Ahuja