It would be surprising for one to know how much impact one’s daily activities have on the environment and climate. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant they may seem, each choice one we make sets off a chain of events in motion.
One’s contribution to climate change can be easily calculated by measuring Carbon Footprint. The total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases) are generated by one’s actions (choices). The current average is 4tons per person per year.
To put this into perspective let’s travel to 3 million years ago when the situation of our planet was quite similar to today in terms of carbon footprint and the globe was 2 degrees hotter than it should have been. The sea level rose by 10-20 metres as polar ice caps melted, submerging more than half the planet.
Well, we are on the cusp of repeating history! Since 1961, the time we started using fossil fuels with full force, our carbon emissions have grown 11 times over. Simultaneously, we have also created a tremendous ecological footprint by clearing lands, contaminating water, and removing forests.
The goal is to reduce every individual’s carbon footprint to less than 2 tons per year before 2050, but seeing that we are not showing any chances of improvement it needs to happen much sooner now.
How to reduce my carbon footprint?
The first step is to know and identify the problem, which has already been done for us. You can get a reality check by reading frequent news about landslides, avalanches, floods, forest fires, decaying biodiversity, and rising oceans etc. The second is to measure and track it regularly. The third and the most important one is to build a lifestyle around the new eco-friendly choices.
For an individual, there are three main contributors to increasing the size of carbon footprint: transportation, housing and food. Activities that we all do to function. All you need to do is make choices based on awareness and consciousness towards the planet.
Transportation: The top contributor of greenhouse gases, be it a person, a family, an organization or a nation. Here are some choices that you can make to reduce your carbon footprint from transportation:
a) Cut down on fossil fuels. Look for an electric vehicle or a hybrid option for your next car.
b) Even better, don’t purchase a car, walk or cycle to work. Use public transportation or carpool for longer distances. Sharing a cab is so easy now.
c) If you own a car, drive like there is an egg under your foot, says Brian West, an expert in fuel and engine research. Less accelerating and less braking means more efficiency.d) Use cruise control, keep your vehicle in good condition, and check things like tyre pressure, pollution emission etc. periodically.
Housing: This corresponds to your energy usage, and waste management awareness. a) Make your house greener and cooler. Minimise the use of ACs and heating devices.
b) Unplug and switch off appliances when not being used.
c) Use solar energy alternatives for electricity and heating.
d) Opt for appliances with higher energy (star) ratings. Ditch the incandescent lamps, use LEDs, they are way ‘cooler.’
e) Reduce the use of excess things in your house, reuse things which are still functioning, recycle parts and repurpose things for other uses, like torn clothing can make a cleaning mop, or a carry bag. We always do it.
f) Reduce organic waste by composting, that way you save the planet and get free fertilizer for your garden) Prevent wastage of water, close any running taps you see in your neighbourhood. Try to collect rainwater.
Food: What you eat leaves behind a trail of greenhouse gases created in growing, production, packaging, and transporting it up to the point it reaches your plate. Here’s what you can do:
a) Stick to vegetarian food. Meat generates 100 times more greenhouse gases than plant-based foods. Eat lower down on the food chain.
b) Enjoy locally made/grown food. Saves the need for transportation.
c) Use brands that pledge to a cleaner and greener earth.d) Do not waste food or let it go wasted around you. Join an organization that works for this initiative, vote on policies that reverse climate change, and practise decarbonizing in your everyday acts of life. It has to be a change in lifestyle induced by an attitude shift. You cannot think yourself into a new way of acting, but you can act yourself into a way of thinking. Beat it by practice and mindfulness into your DNA. We have the power of social media, we are young, and together, we can start a revolution to a cleaner and greener Earth.
Mayank has been involved in knowledge product development and writes on contemporary topics including climate change, global warming, and wellbeing. Being a professional web content writer, he is certified web content writer. Mayank, in the past, has worked as an SEO writer and had also worked in the editorial team of a national TV Channel’s newsroom.
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