Lowering your carbon footprint is a way to help the planet fight against climate change; a phenomenon accelerated by deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. By definition, for the purpose of this blog post, a carbon footprint is the total amount of emissions generated by a lifestyle directly or indirectly.
Your carbon footprint is generated by lifestyle habits such as: how often you drive, what your diet consists of, how much you waste, etc. By reducing your carbon footprint via adjusting your lifestyle habits, you can personally save greenhouse gasses from entering the atmosphere and furthering climate change.
One might assume that drastic measures are needed to significantly lower your carbon footprint. Things like: never flying on an airplane, buying a new electric car, upgrading all of your appliances, etc. However, simple adjustments to your lifestyle can still have a significant impact on your carbon footprint; without breaking the bank or becoming unrealistic.
When possible, purchase local food items that have been grown in your state or community. Produce and animal products available that have been harvested in your area have a much lower carbon footprint than items that have been transported hundreds, or even thousands, of miles.
Farmers markets, fairs, and co-ops are great options for local food purchasing.
According to the EPA, the average household uses 300 gallons (over 1000 liters) of water per day. Roughly 70% of this water usage occurs indoors from running faucets, doing laundry, watering plants, showering, and flushing the toilet.
Reducing your water usage can help preserve water resources (especially during drought) and keep your water bill lower. Try cutting your showers down by a few minutes, turning off faucets when brushing your teeth or not in use, fixing/patching water leaks, and saving water you didn’t drink to water your plants.
Of course, public transportation is a more environmentally sound mode of transport. However, we understand many people do not have access to public transportation, thus, relying on a car. You don’t necessarily need to drive less to lower your carbon footprint, you can drive better.
Avoid unnecessary, harsh braking and accelerating while driving to allow your vehicle to reach its highest fuel efficiency. Get into the habit of turning your engine off when parked, not idling. Not only will this reduce your carbon footprint, it will help you fuel last 3-5% longer.
If able to drive, carpool, or take public transportation to your destination, that is preferable. However, there are destinations only reachable by air travel. If you’re going to fly, try to do so in the most efficient way possible. There are a few simple ways that you can do this.
If available, always choose direct flights to your destination. Layovers and stops in other locations often take you hundreds of miles off course, resulting in an overall longer flight associated with higher emissions.
Be mindful of which airlines you choose. For some destinations, there are only a few airlines to choose from. However, airlines like KLM use bio-fuels on certain routes, and have committed to reaching certain sustainability targets for their airline. Searching a query for the “most sustainable airlines” will give you a list to choose from that you can reference when booking for your trip(s).
If you have the additional funds to do so, consider purchasing a carbon offset. Carbon offsets are payments made to organizations or companies who conduct carbon sequestration and mitigation projects. This could be generating renewable energy, replanting forests, or working on soil regeneration projects. When you purchase a carbon offset, you are essentially paying for the amount of emissions of your trip to be neutralized.
Carbon offset prices vary depending on the organization and miles traveled during your flight(s) — We recommend Terrapass as a carbon offset provider if this is something you are interested in. To give you an idea, a flight that travels between 3,000-4,000 miles equates to a carbon offset worth $16.
Not only would the environment benefit from a reduction in your energy use, your wallet would thank you, too. Electricity is created by burning fossil fuels or through renewable energy systems. However, fossil fuels for the consumption of energy is still the primary way most individuals receive their electricity.
Consuming less energy does not need to be from installing the highest efficiency appliances (although they are excellent if you can afford it) or remodeling your home or heating systems. Simple adjustments to your consumption can save you hundreds of dollars on your energy bill.
A few simple things you can do includes unplugging idle electronics. You may leave your phone charger plugged in when not in use, or leave your TV on stand-by. By unplugging all of your electronics when not in use, you could save 10% off of your electric bill each month. In addition, remind yourself and your family to turn off lights when they are not in the room. Lighting, while not typically a large part of an electricity bill, does add up.
If you live in a hot climate where you use an A/C unit, consider switching to a fan, as they use less electricity.
How to reduce my carbon footprint? | European Youth Portal
The 35 Easiest Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint – Sustainable Living
