What is a Carbon Footprint? Why is it important to offset your Carbon Footprint?
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by: johnmclean
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Word Count: 411
Our carbon
footprint is the direct effect our actions and lifestyle have on the
environment in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. CO2
increases greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. We all contribute
to global warming every day.
Carbon
Footprints are made up of two parts, the direct or primary footprint and the
indirect or secondary footprint. The primary footprint is a measure of our
direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels. These are
probably the biggest contributors to your Carbon Footprint; they include
electricity consumption and transportation. The secondary footprint is a
measure of indirect CO2 emissions from the entire lifecycle of
products we use - from their manufacture to their eventual breakdown in the
ecosystem.
The greenhouse effect
is the increase in Earth’s temperature caused by the growing amount of certain
gasses in the atmosphere – nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide. These
“Greenhouse gases” have the same effect on Earth as a greenhouse; letting
sunlight in and keeping heat from escaping. The greenhouse effect is important
to human life; otherwise, it would be too cold to live on the Earth.
By
burning fossil fuels, we have tremendously increased the amount
of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.
Earth is now heating up excessively, a process called “global
warming.”
You can reduce your carbon footprint by changing things that
you do in your daily life. These are a few things you can do to reduce your
personal carbon footprint:
·
Walk
to your destination if possible instead of driving.
·
Recycle
glass, metals, plastics and paper.
·
Select
the most energy-efficient models when you replace your old appliances. Look for
products that have earned the ENERGY STAR® label.
·
Turn
off and unplug stereos, radios, TVs, and DVDs when you leave home for a few
days. These appliances have a stand-by function that uses energy even when they
are turned off.
·
Only
run your dishwasher when full, and let dishes air dry.
About the Author
If you are interested in learning more about offsetting your Carbon Footprint, check out http://www.begreennow.com. There are simple tips to begin decreasing the energy you use each day, and offset the rest of your carbon-emitting energy use with their easy-to-use carbon calculator and BeGreensm carbon offset products. Be part of the solution to save the world from ourselves; we are all part of the problem.
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