How To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Hi guys! Climate change is a hot discussion topic nowadays, and there have been a lot of discussions in our community occurring on how we can reduce climate change as much as possible. In this blog post, I will be talking about what a carbon footprint is and three ways you can reduce your carbon footprint.

What is a carbon footprint?

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by human actions (1).

The average carbon footprint for one person in the United States in about 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. To compare, the average carbon footprint for one person in Denmark about 6 tons (2), and the global average is about 4 tons. To have the best chance at avoiding a 2 degree Celsius rise in global temperatures. the average global carbon footprint per year needs to drop under two tons by 2050.

Lowering individual carbon footprints from 16 tons to 2 tons won't happen overnight, obviously. By making small changes to our actions, each of us can start making a huge impact.

Way #1: Reduce your consumption of meat (eat a more plant based diet!)

Reducing your consumption of meat and dairy significantly reduces your carbon footprint. If everyone in the world ate as much meat as Americans do, we would need the resources of five Earths to feed the world.

Pound-for-pound, gallon-per-gallon, and animal sourced foods use vastly more water and carbon to produce than plant-based foods. To put this into context, according to studies conducted by UCLA, 1 pound of beef requires anywhere between 2,000 and 8,000 gallons of water to produce.

Way #2: Boycott Fast Fashion

Fast fashion is cheaply-made clothing that is usually disposed of after a few wears. Fashion production makes up about 10% of humanity's carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams.

Fast fashion (stores like Topshop, Fashionnova, Boohoo) utilize cheap textiles and toxic textile dyes that contribute widely to the negative impacts on the climate and environment. The EPA estimates that textile waste occupies nearly 5% of all landfill space in the United States.

What can I do about this?

Wear your clothes longer and buy less! Buy second hand clothing to keep clothes out of landfills. Tell companies to improve working conditions and raise ethical standards for their workers.

Way #3: Reconsider your means of transportation

Transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions in the United States. Whenever possible, take public transport, carpool, walk, or bike. Modern transportation relies heavily on petroleum, and passenger cars and light-duty trucks (minivans, pickup trucks) contribute to half of the carbon dioxide emissions from the US transportation sector.

Individuals can save more than $9,738 per year by taking public transport instead of driving. This mode can lead to substantial benefits. If your commute is 20 miles round trip, the switch to public transportation could reduce your carbon footprint by 4,800 pounds annually.

Way #4: Reconsider your consumption of goods

Every item you consume costs the planet valuable resources. Try to do your best to ethically consume by doing the following: research before you buy, eat and shop locally, opt for less packaging, choose natural over synthetic, and avoid disposable goods.

Way #5: Reduce your use of single-use items

Single use items such as plastic water bottles, plastic straws, and disposable utensils, are made for convenience. Making one simple swap, such as purchasing a reusable water bottle, can spare the environment hundreds of plastic bottles a year.

Way #6: Push for change

One of the most powerful things that you as an individual can do is push for change at the root of the issue: corporations. Go after corporations with large carbon footprints - don't give them your money or support them. For example, Coca-cola has said that they alone produce three million tons of plastic packaging each year, equivalent to 200,000 plastic bottles per minute. Another big thing you can do is petition the government.

We must listen to the needs of our Earth. Climate change is a defining issue of our time, and it is time to act.

Sources:

1. https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/#:~:text=A%20carbon%20footprint%20is%20the,are%20generated%20by%20our%20actions.&text=To%20have%20the%20best%20chance,under%202%20tons%20by%202050.

2. https://ourworldindata.org/per-capita-co2

3. https://www.sustain.ucla.edu/our-initiatives/food-systems/the-case-for-plant-based/#:~:text=1%20pound%20of%20beef%20requires,requires%201950%20gallons%20of%20water.

4. https://www.livekindly.co/we-need-5-planets-meat-consumption-earth-overshoot-day/

5. https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10#in-total-up-to-85-of-textiles-go-into-landfills-each-year-thats-enough-to-fill-the-sydney-harbor-annually-6

6. https://kroc.com/recycle-your-clothing-instead-of-adding-to-landfills/

7. https://earth911.com/living-well-being/carbon-footprint-conscious-consumerism/

8. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use-plastics-101

9. https://www.c2es.org/content/reducing-your-transportation-footprint/#:~:text=Individuals%20can%20save%20more%20than,public%20transportation%20instead%20of%20driving.&text=The%20people%20in%20those%20households,no%20access%20to%20public%20transit.