Climate change indeed is an overwhelming subject in itself, the science behind it is as complex as it gets. As there are still many unknown facts and figures to explore while real positive results might require a change on a global level. Although globalizing a change needs a huge amount of leadership, you can make minor changes in your day-to-day life to keep a personal impact on the depleting environment. 

Here are some of the tips that will walk you through some of the areas to reduce your carbon footprint. 

What is Carbon Footprint?

A carbon footprint is defined as the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted from a certain production or service. It includes several polluting gases, carbon being the most dominant and thus, the name carbon footprint. It also includes gases like methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Another set of carbon footprints is also generated through housing, transportation, food sectors, and so on. 

What Is Carbon Neutrality and Why Does It Matter? 

Carbon Neutrality is an initial process to achieve a Zero carbon footprint. The method emphasizes replacing or offsetting carbon-emitting elements with eco-friendly elements on a smaller level. For achieving a zero-carbon future, being carbon neutral is the first step. For example – instead of buying a water heater you can exchange it with a solar water heater, to reduce your carbon footprint by a considerable grade.

A growing carbon footprint is leading to climate change and is increasing the co2 emission per capita. These emissions are thus, pointing towards a climatic emergency up to an extent of no escape. Therefore, carbon neutrality will play a paramount in the coming years. 

Calculating Your Carbon Capture and Emission

You can start the process of calculating your carbon footprint by gauging your use, with the help of a carbon footprint calculator. A carbon footprint calculator helps in weighing your co2 emission per capita by measuring your travel distances, energy usage in the house, expenditure on shopping, and diet composition. 

Carbon offset gold standard or Gold Standard for the Global Goals is a logo certification mark for non-governmental projects to generate carbon emission reduction in various climatic and development-oriented interventions. This is one such method that you can adopt to create carbon neutrality within your domain of area. Carbon offsetting, Carbon footprint calculators, etc are some of the easiest ways to be environmentally conscious. 

No matter what your score is, here are some of the things that could help in lessening your negative impact on the environment.  

Walking over Driving

November 2017 was the year when carbon dioxide emissions due to transporting had surpassed emissions from electricity generation as one of the top sources that produce greenhouse gases. Why? Because electricity generation and processes are shifting from the use of finite resources like coal to infinite resources like natural gas. If you decide to go car-less for a year you could save almost 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide on your front. According to a study held at the University of British Columbia and Lund University, these numbers are more than a round trip of a transatlantic flight. 

So, how can we stop using a car? Just take a train, bus, or well, just shift to riding a bike which enables a zero carbon footprint. But let’s be realistic here, it is not entirely possible to never use a car. 

Here are some of the tips you can keep in mind to make your car trips more climate oriented

• Regular servicing of your car can be a good method to keep it efficient and smooth over time.
• Carbon emissions reduction can be possible through efficient driving by using lesser brakes, thus avoiding the wastage of unnecessary gas or fuels. 
• Keeping your tires in check by keeping them pumped correctly can be a good method to reduce your carbon footprint
• Cut down on the air conditioning and city driving as possible to save your carbon footprint. Since cities tend to be crowded, driving a bike would any day save your time and well, your carbon footprint!
• Prefer Carpooling over single-use by splitting the emissions. 
• Just buy a Tesla!

If you are buying a new car, then that is a golden opportunity to reduce your co2 emissions per capita. You can choose between gasoline, hybrid, or electric with a wide range of options available. Choose cars that are higher on efficiency than design. Also, while opting for an electric car, be well-researched about the nearest charging stations for the same. It is necessary to know that cars that have lower emissions also have a lower maintenance cost, making it a smart buy in itself.  

Home Energy

In an average American home, 25 percent of energy consumption is wasted on heating your spaces according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. These numbers are critical enough for us to rethink our ways of using our home appliances and services. 

Here are some of the methods that you can adapt for a reduced carbon emission

• Adapt to a smart thermostat while keeping the blinds closed to help the temperature to stabilize faster and save the carbon footprint. 
• Use your water heater as much as sufficient, 120 degrees being just enough.
• Turn off your appliances and lights when they are not being used. You also need to check your power outlets to reduce your electrical consumption even more. 
• Invest in a laptop rather than a desktop computer as laptops take less energy to run. 
• Replace all the incandescent and energy inefficient light with LEDs. CFLs, etc that are energy efficient. 
• Opt for renewable energy resources like solar, wind, etc rather than going for finite resources. Solar panels, solar pergolas, etc are some of the elements you can adapt to add an aesthetic yet valuable asset to your homes. 
• Buy star-rated products that are certified as energy-efficient to reduce your electricity bill as well as carbon footprint.

Other methods like insulating your home well to reduce the energy waste, installing a cool roof to reflect the excessive heat, landscaping, and gardening, etc can be some of the most efficient mentors to curb down your home energy to reduce the carbon footprint on a greater extent. 

Food

The food systems are always evolving, with many conjectures as to what is the most environmentally friendly diet to follow. Although, most experts agree that a considerable cut down on meat and red meat in specifics can help to create a lesser negative impact on the environment. For this reason, you can opt for a vegan diet as it uses natural ingredients in its simplistic forms. 

While selecting food in grocery stores and supermarkets, you need to consider the production and transportation porches of the item as well. The major carbon footprint in the food industry is created through its machinery and transportation process as they use finite resources. And that’s why eating local makes a huge impact. Fewer miles account for fewer carbon emissions 

You can also adapt methods such as home growing your food with an organic or a community garden to produce fresh food without any pesticides and fertilizers. This can prove advantageous in having a low carbon footprint while providing several health benefits. Global emissions are closely linked to what we have on our plates, going green as much as possible can always be a benefit. 

Less Waste

On average Americans account for a 40 percent wastage of food that they buy. 

Here are some of the simpler solutions that you can adapt for lower carbon capture:-

• Concise your grocery list by adding only what is necessary over adding everything you want. This way you get the health benefits as well as save your carbon footprint. 
• Plan and cook your food according to the right amount you need for all the members rather than overdoing it and wasting the rest. 
• Get creative by reusing all your leftovers instead of tossing them all in the bin. Look out for innovative solutions and recipes. 
• Freeze your food properly to avoid them from getting spoilt. 
• You also have to be critical of what you eat. Instead of using disposable dishes, opt for dinnerware that you can wash and reuse.

Air Travel

One of the most efficient solutions to reduce your carbon footprint is by calculating how much and how often you prefer air travel. Taking fewer round trips and resorting to public transportation for the same can be a good option. Instead of opting for air travel, you can opt for a sustainable travel option like electric cars, natural gas-reliant vehicles, etc. 

If there are occasions where you can’t avoid traveling, then you can try carbon neutrality and reduce your carbon emission in some other way. For other wastes such as petroleum can be avoided by opting for video conferencing for meetings rather than traveling to every location. 

Dressing and Shopping Sustainably 

Most of the clothes produced under ‘Fast Fashion’ are produced quickly, cheaply, and are not sustainable. This fast industry ends up costing a lot for the environment. So whatever you shop, be it clothes, groceries, home goods, toys, etc. you have to consider the sustainability aspect behind it to reduce the carbon footprint. 

Here are some of the do’s that you can consider while dressing or shopping:-

• Try shopping vintage, you will be saving money as well as the environment. 
• Consider the fabric of the material and the different environmental impacts that it creates. Think of buying more wool over synthetics. 
• Donate your old clothing rather than throwing it away. Some animal shelters also take old bedding, sheets, towels, etc, and be well-researched about everything you invest in. 
• Buy Carbon Offsets – Sometimes your contribution towards the carbon footprint is unavoidable. But in such scenarios, you can try buying items from a sustainable initiative that offsets their emission on a level. Although, you have to be careful in analyzing authentic initiatives and organizations.

How to Recycle

One of the easiest methods to reduce your co2 emission per capita is through retaining and reusing what you already have. Rather than using newer materials, you can retain your current elements by reusing them in more than one way. 

Here are some of the tips you can consider while reusing and recycling

• Check for a number inside a triangle on the bottom of every plastic container that you buy. This indicates if the resin that was used can be recyclable or not. 
• Before throwing any food or waste in a recycling bin, rinse it clean to avoid any spilled item entering the bin as it can spoil the entire batch of recyclables. 
• Recycle paper, tin, cans, and before throwing anything away always ask yourself this question – Can I re-use, retain or repair it?
• Donate your working electronics rather than dumping them if they are in a working condition. 
• Do not add your non-recyclables in recyclable bins; they can spoil an entire batch. 

Know Your Rights and Vote!

To be able to be a responsible citizen towards curbing the reduction of your carbon footprint, you need to have a clear understanding of the science of climate change. Know your facts through various organizations, representative, and authentic sources first, and then act on them. Another conscious initiative from your end can be through meetups and joining with a local climate group that helps you in staying well-updated with the current happenings. 

Also, use your vote to curb climate change by opting towards policies and government that support these green initiatives. 

How Will These Measures Impact in the Long Run? 

In the next 10 years, global MNCs like Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, etc have envisioned themselves to be carbon neutral. Due to the current climatic condition, stalwart organizations like SpaceX are visioning humans to be a multi-planetary species. Curbing the Carbon Footprint has now become a mandatory rather than a luxury. With MNCs and global leaders working on achieving a zero carbon footprint on a macro level. Along with households working on sustainable lifestyle changes on a micro level, the future can be Green!

Discover more:–

• How to Save Money Renovating Your Home)
• Briefing on Carbon Footprint – From its Emergence to Alarming State

It is high time that we start taking ownership of our contribution towards climate change. Why do you think this is necessary? Why does it matter?

Our generic lifestyle decisions account for creating major impacts on a macro level. Here a question arises- How can a small household contribute to a global impact? Think about millions of people initiating this small change, can we consider it as small then? By making our lifestyle as sustainable as possible we can curb the carbon footprint by a large amount. We can urbanize by taking sustainability in hand for a better and greener future. 

We are living in a new age where a climatic emergency is on the verge, only a total revamp of our ways and lifestyle choices can indeed make a positive impact towards neutralizing our overuse. One of the major polluting elements adding to the greenhouse gases is our CO2 emissions. They are the largest contributors to climate change. And thus, there is a need for methods catering to carbon offset to curb the negative footprint by a larger margin. 

What Is a Carbon Footprint?

Carbon Footprint is one of the most commonly used terms in our daily lives, but what exactly does it mean?

The dictionary definition of carbon footprint is “the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual, organization or community.”

Carbon Footprint is a major contributor to abusing the natural environmental conditions. Various factors add up carbon in the environment which can have both health as well as environmental effects in the long run.

Importance of Carbon Footprint

Tackling climate change is not an overnight job, everybody plays an equal part in initiating a small change to create a bigger difference. One of the best solutions is to decrease our carbon emissions daily by switching to alternative options that cater to less or zero carbon footprint. 

One might mistake carbon emissions for vehicular aspects or any commute-based mode. This is untrue, carbon footprint can be emitted from various other ways. From building construction to overuse of materials, along with this an excess dependency on finite resources like petrol, diesel, etc can increase carbon emissions. Improper waste management left untreated can also create a hazardous impact on the environment. 

Almost everything we do in our daily life releases some amount of carbon into the environment. For example, when you buy food from supermarkets it is factory produced with machinery and other technicalities that require finite resources such as petrol, diesel, etc to function. This along with transportation which is also dependent on finite resources indirectly adds up to the carbon footprint. Therefore, to tackle climate change and reduce the effects of carbon footprints we need to think deep right from the origin of a commodity. 

Carbon Offsetting 

Carbon Offsetting can be one of the most efficient ways to reduce our carbon footprint by equalizing the usage than overpowering the negative usage in one go. We can start carbon offsetting by investing in environmental projects and solutions. Green packaging for products to sustainable and green-rated buildings can be effective measures to curb climate change. Replacing or altering finite with infinite resources in a gradual manner can help in carbon offsetting in our cities. 

How Can We Start Carbon Offsetting on a Smaller Scale?

The main factor here is to look at the current availability and optimizing its usage rather than exhausting the available resources. We need to think about the coming years and the future generation, and that’s why we need to conserve the availability. The current abundance can be tomorrow’s scarcity or worse, EXTINCTION!

A carbon footprint calculator is an efficient way to calculate your carbon emissions within a household. You can map your carbon consumption by adding values of your electricity, water, landscape, renewable resources, etc. 

The Committee of Climate Change states that the average household produces 8 tonnes of carbon emissions in the environment. In which around two tonnes comes from heating your homes which adds 1.25 tonnes more to the electricity usage. This is the main reason why the residential carbon footprint is larger than the commercial footprint. Therefore, there is an active need to start carbon offsetting on a residential level first. 

• Carbon footprint can be curbed down by simple measures like buying from local stores or local resources. 
• Commute-based checks can be kept on a day-to-day basis by switching to environmentally sound fuels such as solar, electricity, etc. 
• Home appliances can be switched to energy-efficient options by using LEDs, CFLs, etc. 
• Regular water heaters can be exchanged with Solar Water heaters, which are much more efficient and cost-friendly. 
• Water management systems by using dual flushing systems, aeration tanks, etc can be done to use water more efficiently, thus avoiding wastage of resources. 
• Waste management systems in a small household can also have a positive impact in the long run, sewage tanks and treatment tanks can be used for the same. 
• Landscaping your households with plants or shrubs can go a long way in making the air more cleaner. 

How to Calculate Carbon Footprint?

Measuring your carbon footprint can be an accurate way to modulate your lifestyle needs. You can measure your carbon footprint by calculating the total output of greenhouse gases that are emitted by your household or organization. 

Although, one aspect you need to consider is that ‘carbon’ is an element that is used as a short form for all the polluting gases. Also, it is the most dominant one among all the gases that contribute to your carbon footprint. Measuring your carbon footprint allows you to be in sync with the changing environment by adapting to a changed lifestyle much more easily. At the same time, it also helps you in creating a resilient business. 

There are several carbon footprint calculators provided by various organizations. The Annual Carbon Emissions calculator (ACE) is one such method to collect your data. It is a basic excel workbook with sheets for adding all the necessary usage on a monthly basis. It also automatically generates graphs of all the cumulative emissions. Data like waste generation, energy use, refrigerant loss, travel can be entered into the appropriate month’s sheet to keep a detailed track of your carbon emissions. 

Which Industries Are Greatly Responsible for Carbon Footprint?

Greenhouse emissions include CO2, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and other F-gases. These carbon emissions take place through several methods from farming to deforestation to several other industrial processes. The World Resources Institute (WRI) has broken down the total global emissions from 2005 in various headline sectors to calculate the carbon footprint of each industry. 

The Carbon footprint of electricity and heat accounts for 24.9%, whereas 14.3% of global carbon emissions are produced through transportation activities. The industry sector takes up 14.7% of the Carbon emissions whereas other fuel combustion and fugitive emissions are 8.6% and 4% respectively. 

The Agricultural sector accounts for 13.8% of carbon emissions with Land use changes and alterations on a 12.2%. Even our daily waste gives 3.2% of carbon emissions. These main sectors are then assigned to various other end uses such as Road Transport (10.5%), Air Transport (1.7%), Other Transport (2.5%), etc. The fuel power for residential buildings goes up to 10.2% of carbon emissions, whereas that for commercial buildings is 6.3%.

Other industries like Iron and Steel Production (4%), Machinery Production (1%), Pulp, paper and printing (1.1%), Food and tobacco industries (1.0%), Cement production (5.0%), Chemicals production (4.1%), Coal mining (1.3%), Deforestation (11.3%), Livestock and manure (5.4%), etc. also emit a considerable amount of carbon.

One important point to note here is that the carbon emission level keeps on changing permanently. The total global emissions now are higher than they were in 2005 due to the increased population, demand, urbanization, etc. 

Many Multinational Companies and organizations like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Starbucks, Nike, Tesla, etc are planning to go carbon neutral by the year 2050. 

Microsoft has hired several third-party organizations to keep tabs on their carbon footprint. They plan to make the organizations have a zero carbon footprint by the year 2030. The inclusiveness of these MNCs towards a common green goal has brought many smaller organizations to take inspiration and start their way of reducing carbon emissions. 

Pros of Reducing our Carbon Footprint through Sustainability

Air Quality

When we opt for measures that help in reducing carbon emissions our air quality indirectly improves. Carbon Dioxide accounts for making the air polluted, the absence or negligible amount of it improves the air quality by a larger margin. The user group has various health benefits as well as better visibility in their neighborhood due to this inclusivity of sustainability within their concise space. 

Economic Growth 

Reducing the carbon footprint, in turn, reduces our dependency on finite resources. An increased dependency on infinite resources increases the economy as now the core source is freely available and that too in abundant quantities. 

Awareness

To increase awareness, the government has even started giving subsidies, ROI on clean energy investments, and compensations when opting for infinite sources like solar, wind, etc. 

Slow Climate Change

Carbon offsetting and reduced carbon emissions slow down the climate change process by making our cities greener and liveable as well as saving the environment. 

Cost Savings 

Reduced carbon footprint also reduces the monthly electricity bills as the user group becomes more dependent on infinite resources that are freely available. 

Cons of Reducing Our Carbon Footprint Through Sustainability

• Although sustainability has more merits than demerits, it is not always carbon neutral. For example – solar energy tends to produce some amount of carbon from its attached generators, batteries, etc. However, the impact of this is far less than using finite resources for the same. 
• The initial cost of sustainable measures is higher but the running cost is almost zero or negligible for many resources. 
• Sustainable measures such as solar panels, wind turbines, etc can have security issues as they need to be elevated in an open space where natural resources are available in abundance. 
• In areas where the sunlight and wind are unpredictable, dependency on sustainable measures can be less economical as they function in natural conditions. Due to this, installing solar panels, wind turbines, etc requires thorough research and planning. 

What Is the Importance of Carbon Footprint?

The future is an asset that can be prone to instability if we don’t act on it now. A carbon-neutral future on a global level can help in targeting our carbon emissions to make our future cities more sustainable and greener. 

A liveable city is fueled by a lesser dependency on finite resources and more adaptability towards infinite resources. By adopting small lifestyle changes towards a green future we can curb down our carbon footprint by a larger margin. This can in turn give rise to cities that are more conscious of the user group as well as the environment. 

FAQs

Let’s Curb the Carbon Footprint

Our future cities are entirely dependent on our current use. The more resources we overuse, the more we head towards extinction. Curbing the Carbon Footprint can be one of the most beneficial methods to slow down climate change. It is not about revamping your entire lifestyle but one can always start by making small yet effective changes on a consistent level. 

It is time now, that we start treating our finite resources as a treasure rather than a luxury!

Keep reading:-

• Envisioning a Carbon-less Future: How to Reduce Carbon Footprint?
• How to Save Money Renovating Your Home