How To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact of our day-to-day activities on the environment, and in particular climate change. It takes into account the amount of greenhouse gases produced because of burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation. In simple terms, it is the measurement of all greenhouse gases that we produce individually. The carbon footprint is increasing day by day and becoming one of the greatest contributors to global warming. It has become an alarming situation and some preservative measures need to be taken to reduce the count of this footprint, before it becomes unmanageable. There need to be awareness about the harmful effects of these greenhouse gases in the masses, so that they can take simple preservative measures to contribute to the greater cause of saving the planet. In this article, we will help you know how to reduce your carbon footprint.

Ways Of Reducing Carbon Footprints

At Home

Replace your incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent one. Fluorescent bulbs deliver the same amount of light, but use much less energy, as compared to the incandescent ones.
Your friendly PC or laptop uses a considerable amount of energy, even on standby and sleep mode, if it is plugged in. Therefore, turn off your computer and all the related appliances, when not in use.
You can even make a difference by planting trees. Trees absorb CO₂ and produce oxygen. One can make a lot of difference in saving the planet by planting a single tree.
If you are into gardening, use items that will help you keep the moisture in the soil and reduce soil erosion. For e.g. you can use recycled wood chips to keep the weeds down and retain moisture in the soil.
Natural predators should be used as much as possible, to keep pests at bay. Chemical pesticides are very harmful for the environment and for the quality of the soil as well.

At Workplace

Reduce the use of paper to the maximum. Store and forward information online, instead of using paper for the same. Do not take a print out until important.
Use recycled items in the office. Make sure you purchase items that can be recycled and reused.
Set up a bulletin board for memos and notices, rather than sending copies to each of the employees.

In Transportation

It is smart to live near the place where you work. This will reduce the use of vehicles, save the environment and also save your precious time.
Car-pooling should be considered as a method to reach workplace. It is a very effective measure and will reduce the carbon emission to quite an extent.
Consider purchasing a hybrid vehicle for commuting. These vehicles are energy efficient and environment friendly.
While planning your drive to a place, choose the shortest distance to reach there. Less time on road means less gas being used, more money in your pocket and less damage to the environment.

Diet

Meat consumption should be reduced to the maximum possible extent. More land is used in producing meat, as compared to plant products. The methane they belch is 23 times more effective at retaining heat than CO₂.
Buy your grocery and food items from local health food stores. They use less packaging.
You can even support anti-global warming campaign by simply buying goods produced domestically, rather than the ones transported across long distance.

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