The science behind climate change can be overwhelming and complex. When it comes to its impact on the future, much is still undetermined. So how can you take control and do your part to help slow the impact of climate change? While a lot of factors are out of our control, simple changes at home can decrease greenhouse gas emissions and reduce your carbon footprint. Whether it’s insulating your home, planting a garden, or switching to renewable energy sources like solar panels or natural gas, every effort counts. Read on to find out what a carbon footprint is and how to reduce your carbon footprint at home.
What is a carbon footprint?
Carbon footprint – we’ve all heard this buzzword. As you probably know, the smaller your carbon footprint is the better it is for the planet. But what exactly is a carbon footprint? A carbon footprint is an individual, group, or company’s total amount of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere. These gasses include carbon dioxide (the gas most commonly emitted by humans), methane, and fluorinated gasses, all of which are both direct and indirect results of transportation, consumption of food and consumer goods, and home energy usage emissions. These gasses trap heat in the atmosphere, causing a rise in global temperature.
The average American’s carbon footprint is 16 tons of carbon-equivalent emissions annually, 12 tons more than the global average. The Nature Conservancy recommends that the global average for an individual’s carbon footprint drop below 2 tons per year by 2050.
To calculate your carbon footprint, you’ll need to measure the following:
- Approximately how many miles you travel by car, bus, train, and plane
- The energy usage in your home
- What types and how much food you consume
- Shopping habits
No matter what you score, it’s great to have a baseline and know where you can make improvements and what impact those improvements will have on your carbon footprint.
Benefits of reducing your…