The impact of climate change is reaching dramatic levels. Therefore, becoming aware ceased to be an option to become a necessity. In that sense, understanding that we must reduce the carbon footprint is key and ends up being the best response to the environmental crisis.
What is the carbon footprint? This is a doubt that we must eradicate before we begin. In that order of ideas, we will say that it is a dimension, measure or magnitude with which the emissions of greenhouse gases that are the responsibility of a person or a company are expressed.
The ecological impact of a disproportionate carbon footprint is perceived in melting glaciers, flooding, increased presence of hurricanes, desertification and species migration. It’s time, then, to make the change with 7 green, useful and simple tips.
Why is it important to consider the carbon footprint?
The importance of considering the carbon footprint is in the creation of a collective conscience that promotes the chain reaction of reducing damage to the environment.
In this way, by frequently calculating the carbon footprint, bad consumption habits can be ruled out. The energy that is spent, the food that is chosen and the transport are just some of the points that can optimize the results that the aforementioned environmental indicator throws.
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Tips to reduce your carbon footprint
We present 7 valuable tips that adapt to different daily habits and that, applied properly, can reduce your carbon footprint.
1. Diet
Diet is one of the strengths to make substantial changes. Food waste should be avoided as much as possible, since when throwing the remains in the containers they end up decomposing and emitting methane gas. It is noteworthy that methane has a polluting effect of 1 to 34 relative to carbon dioxide.
On the other hand, eating less meat is also a measure that reduces the emission of gases. The reason is that livestock activity has enormous responsibility in the production of greenhouse gases.
In addition to this, other initiatives that can be taken are the following:
- Buy food from nearby towns.
- Consume less milk.
- Incorporate foods with high levels of fiber.
2. Home
At home there are also several actions that can be taken. One of them is the disconnection of the equipment and the turning off of the lights that are not in use, so that energy savings are achieved.
Likewise, it is convenient to reduce the use of the dryer and toaster, since their electricity consumption is great and, therefore, the fossil fuels required to burn are considerable.
Also, from another consumer perspective, keeping electrical equipment clean can help ensure that its operation does not generate excessive expenditure.
3. Transport
The use of the vehicle unnecessarily makes the planet suffer the consequences. Therefore, it is advisable to opt for the bicycle or public transport when the journeys give facilities.
In addition, in the case of choosing a transport element that requires physical activity, it can end up helping to preserve a good body condition.
In case it is impossible to stop using the vehicle for various reasons, the best contribution will be to keep the car in perfect condition. Lack of maintenance can cause poor operation and increased emitted gases.
4. Environmental initiatives
After having applied each of the possible measures, according to diet, household and transport, then there is a new way to support the environment.
These are environmental initiatives that seek to plant trees, raise awareness among the population, support recycling, promote ecosystem-friendly energies and more.
5. Recycling
Recycling is a task that can be applied from any area, so there is no liability limited to the home or work area. In this way, the management of containers that have reusable characteristics must be prioritized, thus reducing waste and energy resources from subsequent production.
Together, smart procurement is a useful way to get the most out of materials. How is it applied? Simple, keep in mind that a container with a larger volume consumes less energy than several smaller ones with the same total capacity.
Thus, it becomes preferable (in environmental terms) to buy 1 bottle of 2 liters instead of 2 bottles of 1 liter. These kinds of actions are unknown to most, however, they have an influence on the desired change.
6. Endemic plants
The adoption and predilection for endemic plants is one of the best ways to absorb carbon dioxide from the environment. At the same time, its water requirements are much lower than those of other plants that are not accustomed to the climatic conditions of the place.
7. Water consumption
Water is essential for life, but the treatment applied to wastewater represents a source of pollution of great extension.
In this way, saving and using the vital liquid with precision to cover daily needs is a fantastic measure. Some of the proposals that can be carried out are the following:
- When purchasing, select the lowest water consumption equipment.
- Eliminate all existing water leaks at home or at work.
- Use and recommend savers.
- Turn off the taps at disuse intervals.
Reducing the carbon footprint is a joint task
In all areas where there is interaction, big changes can be made to reduce the carbon footprint, but the first step to improvement is to understand the risk of environmental degradation.
The daily routines that must be changed to minimize the harmful greenhouse effect are connected with actions that, in parallel, improve people’s quality of life. This is most evident with diet, to name one example.
Do not forget that reducing and reusing are the basic principles for the planet to be habitable for the next generations. Dare to be the differentiating factor!
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