Many of us are determined to live minimally, recycle everything that we can, and ditch processed food for healthier natural options. These are great habits to blend into your lifestyle, but have you given any thought to actually reducing the environmental impact that you have on our planet? I’m talking about your carbon footprint, people.
Carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere each year, directly or indirectly, by a person, family, building, organization or company. Although carbon dioxide (CO2), a colorless, odorless gas, occurs naturally in the atmosphere as part of the life cycle of oceans, soil, plants and animals, human activities are causing harmful amounts of CO2 and other greenhouse gases to be released into the environment and are rapidly speeding up climate change. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CO2 from human activities such as electricity generation, transportation and industrial uses accounted for 81% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2014.
Your carbon footprint includes greenhouse gas emissions from the fuel that you burn directly, such as by heating or air conditioning a home, firing up the barbecue, driving a car or flying in a plane. It also includes greenhouse gases that come from producing and transporting the goods or services that you use, including emissions from the power plants that make electricity, the factories that manufacture products, the farms that grow crops or raise livestock for our food, the trucks, trains, planes and ships that carry consumer and industrial products, and the landfills where our mountains of trash are sent.
So, what can you and your family do to reduce your carbon footprint?
You can start by calculating it. There are many carbon footprint calculator tools that can be found online, including this tool from the U.S. EPA and another one at the Nature Conservancy’s website. Simple, everyday activities can impact your household’s carbon footprint, such as recycling rather than throwing away your trash, opening a window instead of running the air conditioner, and turning off lights when you’re not at home.
Small choices add up to large reductions in our collective carbon footprint. Here are some other steps you can take to reduce yours:
- Reduce, reuse, recycle. Rather than throwing glass, plastic or aluminum in the trash, take advantage of your local recycling programs. Recycling one good into another means you’re reducing your reliance on new products that add more waste to landfills.
- Spend less time in your vehicle. Most cars, trucks and SUVs use gasoline and diesel fuel, accounting for approximately 31% of the total CO2 emissions in the U.S. Next time you need to go somewhere, consider biking to work, walking to the supermarket, or using public transportation. Switching over to hybrid and electric vehicles is also a great option to reduce your footprint.
- Make conscious food choices. Conscious food choices start with one meal at a time. Try integrating one vegetarian meal per day. If you like the results, consider trying a whole day or week. Forming healthy food habits will help our animal friends and the planet.
- Go solar and be energy efficient. Solar power requires no combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity. A home with an 8.6-kilowatt solar system avoids the emission of approximately 9,600 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per year. If you can’t go solar, there are many other things you can do to make your home more energy efficient. For example, you can invest in certified energy efficient appliances, weatherproof your windows, and make sure your walls and attic are well insulated.
Inovateus Solar is committed to building a brilliant tomorrow through educating our community about the implementation of solar and other sustainable, nonpolluting lifestyle options. Join us in our mission and start shrinking your carbon footprint today.
By Heather Dixon, marketing coordinator, Inovateus Solar
