How To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
- December 10, 2007
- 17,481 Views
Writer
Jane Gardner
Voice-Over Artist
Liv Rooth
Music
Edison Music Corp
Your carbon footprint is how many greenhouse gases you release in your daily activities. Be remembered by your good deeds, not your carbon emissions.
You Will Need
- Deep concern for the future
- Sense of personal responsibility
Step 1: Turn thermostat up/down
Turn your thermostat up in the summer or down in the winter by just two degrees, and you’ll prevent hundreds of pounds of carbon dioxide from being released each year.
Close doors to rooms that you are not using to maximize heating and air conditioning. Insulate windows and doors to save even more heating costs.
Step 2: Unplug electronics
Turn off and unplug your computer, TV, and other electronics when you’re not using them. Even electronics in sleep mode draw power.
Leaving your TV cable box on 24 hours a day uses about 65% as much energy as a standard refrigerator.
Step 3: Change bulbs
Change all the incandescent bulbs in your home to compact fluorescent bulbs, which use about 75% less energy.
Step 4: Do full loads of laundry/dishwashing
Do your laundry or run a dishwasher only when you have a full load. It saves water and it’s an excuse not to clean.
Step 5: Eat local
Eat local: An organic out-of-season vegetable from the other side of the world may sound delicious, but it had to make that trip on a huge container ship.
Take a canvas tote with you shopping, so you have a ready – and better – answer to the question “paper or plastic?”
Step 6: Bring own coffee cup/mug
Bring your own cup or mug when you buy coffee and stop tossing an average of 20 pounds of disposable cups a year.
Step 7: Cut back on bottled water
Cut back on bottled water. Most tap water is perfectly safe to drink, and making the plastic and transporting the bottles uses huge quantities of fossil fuels.
Step 8: Plant a tree
Plant a tree. Trees help reduce greenhouse gases, and every one counts. Consider it a peace offering to the Earth.
Step 9: Consolidate car trips
Don’t jump in your car every time you feel the urge to run an errand. Plan and consolidate your trips to cut down on gas.
Step 10: Carpool, public transportation, bike, or walk
When you can, carpool, use public transportation, or ride your bicycle. Or walk, proud to be treading lightly.
Cattle produce as much as 37% of the atmosphere’s methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
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Comments (7)
I've been able to make a habit of brining my canvas tote while shopping. It took me a long time, but it got to the point that I started looking at each plastic bag with disgust. It's the little things that start momentum. Now I've got to get myself a coffee mug.
over 4 years ago by joclark
I like it - very concise with good ideas.
over 4 years ago by damian
somewhat depressing, but informative
over 4 years ago by lissa
Consuming less meat should also be mentioned. Raising animals for food is a primary cause of deforestation, water shortage, and greenhouse gas emissions. Animal agriculture takes up 70% of all agricultural land, and 30% of the total land. It's not at a steady state either, due to the world's population rising so quickly. Moreover, animal agriculture accounts for 37% of our methane, and 65% of our nitrous oxide, which wield approximately 20 and 300 times the warming power of carbon dioxide, respectively. (it constitutes only 9% of carbon dioxide emissions)
...didn't mean to make this post so academic.
over 4 years ago by padma
Nice high level points about easy things conscientious people can do to make little changes. I'm excited to see future installments!
over 4 years ago by jdeperro
If Cattle produce 37% of the world's methane, does that mean we should kill all the cows and then stop eating beef?
over 4 years ago by sraman84
if u want to b drastic
over 3 years ago by cooolie
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