4 Tips to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

  • Emiliano Finocchi

The world today is reeling from the adverse effects of climate change as caused by human activity. Everyone, from the individual to the corporate level, has a role to play in helping to cut on the negative effects of climate change. The term ‘carbon footprint’ is used to describe the volume of carbon dioxide that we release into the atmosphere from our day-to-day activities. By focusing on each individual’s and corporate’s carbon footprint and reducing the same, it is possible to achieve a significant collective effect. Here are some tips to focus on to help reduce your carbon footprint. Drive Less and Walk More The public transportation sector has a huge role to play when it comes to carbon emissions. In the US alone, for example, 37 million tons of carbon emissions are released into the atmosphere from public transportation. By choosing to drive less and walk more, you will have a huge impact on helping produce these toxic emissions. Alternatives to driving, such as cycling and walking, are eco-friendly and beneficial to your body. Energy Consumption We cannot do without energy in our homes and offices. Upholding sustainable energy consumption standards can help reduce your carbon footprint. Good energy consumption practices, such as switching off appliances and lights when not in use, using LED lights as opposed to incandescent lights, and choosing renewable sources of energy, can substantially cut on your carbon footprint. Plant a Tree(s) Trees play a huge role in helping maintain environmental sanity and cleaning the carbon released into the atmosphere. Sadly, more trees are being cut today to help sustain human activity. You can have a huge impact by taking the reverse action of planting more trees in your compound or wherever you can. Tree planting activities pave the way for increased forestation, which also helps in maintaining the beauty of our earth. Eating Organically Unbelievably, processed foods contribute some level of carbon emission because the food processing plants have to consume energy and release some toxic fumes. You can help make an impact, in that regard, by choosing to consume organically grown foods. Upholding the farm-to-table policy reduces the environmental burden caused by maintaining our food chain. Eating fresh farm produce, for example, eliminates the need for the produce to be transported by road, processed in factories, and preserved using pesticides and chemicals.