A lot of what you do has an impact on the environment, whether directly or indirectly. With climate change being a more pressing issue now than ever, any change you make for the better helps.
We all have a carbon footprint. If you don’t know what that is, we’ll explain shortly. But essentially, it’s our environmental impact.
If we want to reduce our carbon footprint, change is necessary. And it doesn’t have to be difficult either. Keep reading to learn multiple ways to reduce your carbon footprint in your own lifestyle.
What is a Carbon Footprint?
Carbon footprint is the amount of CO2 (carbon dioxide) that a person emits into the environment –whether the air, land, water, or wildlife– as a result of their day-to-day activities. We usually measure it by metric tons.
You’ll hear this term used often when in conversations about climate change. That’s because the size of your carbon footprint is essentially your contribution to global warming.
On a global scale, the average carbon footprint of a person is four tons. However, in the United States, that number significantly jumps to an average of 16 tons a person. There are carbon footprint calculators available to help you figure out yours.
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The goal to prevent a global increase in temperature is to drop the global average carbon footprint to two tons. But before you can make the changes, you need to understand what fluctuates your carbon footprint.
What Causes a Carbon Footprint
A large carbon footprint is caused by high activity in things that release greenhouse gasses; greenhouse gas is gas in the earth’s atmosphere that prevents heat from the sun from escaping.
These activities are some of the most rampant causes of a carbon footprint increase.
Energy (Burning Fossil Fuels)
Fossil fuels are decomposed materials in the earth’s crust containing hydrogen and carbon. We use that and burn it to produce energy. Think of things like oil, coal, or natural gas.
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In the United States, around 81 percent of the energy used is from burning fossil fuels. Because fossil fuels aren’t renewable sources of energy, that noticeably impacts our carbon footprint.
Burning fossil fuels for energy is what counts for most of the world’s emissions. We do it by driving cars, using traditional lawn mowers, and providing a heat source.
Waste
Think of the typical items you buy. When they stop serving their usefulness, they get thrown into the trash. That trash gets collected and then usually ends up in a landfill. Over the last few years, the United States has amounted to close to 150 million tons of landfill.
A good portion of this waste comes from the packaging of the things we buy. Other things include plastics and paper that could’ve been recycled.
Deforestation
Trees consume CO2 and release oxygen. When trees are cut down, that CO2 goes into the air. Not only does it harm the wildlife, but it also affects the ozone layer.
How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Now that you see what all goes into your carbon footprint, here are some small steps you can take to reduce yours.
Food
- Eat more fruits, grains, and veggies: Shift to a more plant-based diet: fruits, beans and legumes, veggies, grains, etc. A decent amount of greenhouse gas emissions come from the process and production of livestock (meat, eggs, dairy, etc).
- Buy local and organic: Reduce going to the grocery store for your food products. They get their food from fossil fuel-burning transportation that travels miles away. Instead, go to a farmer’s market.
- Reduce food waste: Meal prepping is a great way to save time and money. But if you end up with more food left than you expected, don’t throw it out. Freeze it and save it; you could use those leftovers for another dish in the future.
Travel
- Drive your car less: This is one of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint. Depending on where you need to go, leave your car in the driveway and take the bus, walk, bike, or carpool. If possible, try to work from home.
- Buy a hybrid or electric vehicle: You’d still get from point A to point B, just with less fuel burned into the air.
- Keep air travel to a minimum: One plane will pollute the air more than one of almost any other transportation vessel. If you can drive to your destination, do so. If you can’t buy tickets for direct flights when possible.
- Switch to robotic lawn mowers: Using a traditional lawn mower can be very harmful not just to the lawn’s health, but also to the air around you. In one hour, a gas-powered mower will pollute the air as much as 40 cars would in the same time span. Robotic lawn mowers run on battery, meaning cleaner air. Plus you’ll save plenty of time and money in the long run!
Learn more about some of the great robotic lawn mower brands we partner with to find the right mower for your home.
Shopping
- Buy and use reusable bags: Instead of collecting several plastic bags from the store, buy a few reusable shopping bags. That’ll result in fewer plastic bags in landfill.
- Buy used/refurbished: Some things, like technology, are perfectly usable even when they’re not brand new. By buying used, manufacturers won’t have to use environmentally impactful resources to make the product you want. Just make sure you get a warranty.
- Get a reusable water bottle: Similar to reusable shopping bags, using a water bottle helps reduce the number of plastic bottles littered on the ground.
Make Your Home Energy Efficient
- Turn off unused lights: Before you leave your home, don’t forget to turn off all of the lights!
- Switch to energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs: While you’re out, pick up some LED light bulbs. Shop around for energy-efficient appliances to upgrade to.
- Don’t leave tech idling: Many of your gadgets let you turn the screen off but the device could still be “on.” When you’re done using a gadget, like a computer, shut it down, don’t just let it “sleep.”
- Insulate the home: A home that lets heat or air escape easily is a home with a high energy bill. Do your wallet and the environment a favor and properly insulate your home. The less heat or air escapes from your home, the less energy is used to regulate the temperature in your home.
Treat Every Day Like Earth Day
We all play a role in the healthiness of our air. But living a more eco-friendly lifestyle doesn’t have to be hard. Just some of these little changes will greatly reduce your carbon footprint.
