Our carbon footprint, also called carbon footprint, measures how much we impact on the environment. We are talking about greenhouse gas emissions resulting from our daily activities, such as traveling or our food choices. But with some useful advice we can make our lifestyles more sustainable, to support the reversal of the feared climate change.
It’s not nice to know, but every single action or lifestyle habit has an environmental impact, which can be calculated starting from carbon footprintor carbon footprint. In fact, our activities cause CO2 emissions that can contribute to global warming and climate change. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be greener.
However, the term carbon footprint must be defined in order to understand the meaning of this concept before establishing how it is calculated and how, consequently, it can be reduced. The carbon footprint, to limit the definition to the essentials, represents the total amount of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, resulting from our actions.
Globally, an average carbon footprint per individual is considered to be around 4 tonnes, spread over the course of a year. But in industrialized countries, such as the United States, a peak is estimated at around 16 tons. It is no coincidence that Americans boast one of the highest rates of environmental impact in the world.
If we wanted to avoid a further increase in temperatures, with the consequences linked to this eventuality, the reduction of our carbon footprint should fall below 2 tons by 2050. The date is not imminent, but it is less distant than imagined and, as they say, those who have time don’t wait for time.
The carbon footprint, as mentioned, does not only concern large industries, but also the individual actions and lifestyles of each individual. If companies are increasingly trying to limit their environmental impact, with solutions more connected to energy saving and low emissions, we too can and must do something.
First of all, to understand from which base we are starting, online or on the various app stores, we will have to look for digital calculators to take stock of our carbon footprint. From here we start to check which unsustainable habits we have and instead replace them with methods that have less impact from an environmental point of view.
Sustainable mobility
Electric cars, pedal vehicles, but also simple public transport and car sharing are the basis of sustainable and ecological mobility. If we leave the car and go on foot, or if we use a green city bus or a scooter, or even share the journey with other people, our carbon footprint decreases.
Energy saving appliances
At home, to save money on bills and give breathing space to the environment, we can choose energy-saving appliances, capable of consuming less electricity and reducing our carbon footprint. If we go to the store, we look for refrigerators, washing machines, ovens and dishwashers with the Energy Star label, which guarantees the sustainability of the products.
The transition to renewable sources
A wise way to reduce our carbon footprint is to abandon fossil fuels and non-renewable energies in favor of renewable ones. With wind and photovoltaic we can say goodbye to dependence on external sources, focusing on self-production of energy. A significant saving, but also a panacea for our planet.
Waste reduction and correct recycling
It should be remembered that, to reduce your carbon footprint, rubbish must be disposed of in the correct way, i.e. the one suggested by your municipality of residence. But it would also be preferable to limit the purchase of products that have a short life or that cannot be recycled. Landfills and incinerators emit a monstrous amount of greenhouse gases.
A more plant-based diet
Omnivores don’t turn up their noses, we swear that no one judges your food choices to be wrong, but a more plant-based diet remains an environmental panacea. Meat industries have supply chains with high greenhouse gas emissions. On the contrary, if we mitigate the consumption of animal foods, preferring plant-based ones, the planet will gratefully thank us.
But perhaps also the doctor, given that in the Western world excessive consumption of meat is considered one of the main causes of cardiovascular diseases and some types of tumors. Warning: you shouldn’t overturn your diet or even change your eating habits overnight, but just make your food choices better for your health and the environment.
Source: www.greenstyle.it
