What Is My Carbon Footprint?

If you have ever been asked about your carbon footprint don’t look down because it has nothing to do with your feet. Your “carbon footprint” is a verbal symbolism for the personal impact you are leaving upon the planet by your physical activities and by certain lifestyle choices. It is not a visible imprint but the ramifications can become visible by increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere over time.

What is a carbon footprnit?

A carbon footprint is simply a measure of the amount of greenhouse gases your presence on earth adds to the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are important because when they build up to unmanageable levels it can cause clouding of the air and lead to global warming according to some scientists. The choices you make in lifestyle activities can cause you to have a larger or a smaller carbon footprint. For example, if you have a private plane and a gas guzzling car you are creating a much larger carbon footprint than the activist who rides a bicycle to work and never flies anywhere even commercially.

Why is your carbon footprint important?

The concept of a carbon footprint is important to understand so everyone can make even small adjustments in their lifestyles to try to reduce the global buildup of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. A reduction by everyone is needed to affect the environment. Governments are trying to influence businesses to reduce CO2 outputs by levying high taxes if they produce too much pollution. Governments also can tax consumer items such as gasoline to influence the public to drive more efficient cars and to reduce the amounts of gasoline and other fossil fuels that cause CO2 buildups. The concept of “cap and trade” is one huge taxation effort that will force everyone to pay more in an effort to force a reduction of the carbon footprint of a population.

Calculate your carbon footprint

It is possible to estimate what your household carbon footprint is by using carbon footprint calculators that are easily found online. Just put “carbon footprint calculator” into your computer browser and many will be listed. Go to a calculator and fill in the blanks and you will get a reasonable estimate of the size of your carbon footprint.

Once you know what your carbon footprint is you can begin to attempt reductions. The areas to work within include the home, transportation, food choices or your diet plans and recycling and waste efforts that you can participate in. According to The Nature Conservatory, the average 5 person American household contributes 130 tons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere yearly. The world average for a 5 person household is just 28 tons per year. Use their calculator* to discover where your lifestyle choices set your family compared to those averages.

Ways to reduce your carbon footprint

Ways to reduce your impact include driving less or not at all, using appliances that are energy efficient and cutting your use of electricity and other energy sources that require power plants that use fossil fuels to produce that power. Change from meat to vegetarian meals because the carbon cost of raising meat is higher than that for growing vegetables. Also, animals produce a lot of CO2. Use energy efficient CFL light bulbs that last much longer and use less energy than incandescent bulbs. When possible use solar or wind power as alternatives to electricity. Plant trees and use recycling, composting and other waste reduction practices. If everyone attempts to reduce their carbon footprint even a small amount the total impact can be multiplied by millions. Everyone has a vested interest in keeping the planet safe and healthy. Reducing carbon footprints is a great way to help save the world.

Renewable Energy Explained

The United States and other major, industrial countries currently rely a great deal on energy sources like coal, natural gas and oil. Unfortunately, these are resources that can - and very well may - run out.

As awareness increases regarding this issue, people are looking for renewable energy sources to take their place. With renewable energy - like solar and wind power - people can end their reliance on energy sources that are destructive to the planet and that are finite by nature.

What Is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy is energy that can be replenished continually and therefore never run out. Sources of renewable energy are also much less destructive to the health of the planet and are considered to be much more eco friendly. As levels of coal, oil and natural gas continue to decline, it is becoming more and more critical to develop ways of using renewable energy for the things that we rely the most heavily on - like cars, heat and other important things.

Many researchers are working diligently to find ways of harnessing renewable energy, engineers are looking at how to implement it in place of current energy sources and politicians and the governments are seeking ways to speed the process up.

Renewable Energy Sources

One of the most well known sources of renewable energy is the sun. Solar power has been used as an energy source for a long time now, but it is being worked with more and more as the problem becomes more urgent.

Wind is another great renewable energy source that is being experimented with for a number of different applications.

Geothermal energy is a type of renewable energy that taps into the Earth's internal heat.

Hydropower involves using running water - likes rivers - to generate energy and is another potential source of renewable energy.

Non-Renewable Energy

On the flip side of renewable energy are the non-renewable energy sources that people around the world have been relying on for years. Coal and oil are just two examples of this, and as reserves become lower and lower the price of using them grows higher and higher.

Renewable energy seeks to replace these sources of non-renewable energy in order to save the planet and help reduce the cost of running so many important things in people's lives. Although efforts are underway to find more renewable energy sources, people must diligently find alternatives to non-renewable energy sources.

How To Save The World With Renewable Energy

During recent elections, renewable energy was one of the hottest topics at debates and other forums. It is little wonder; recent spikes in gasoline prices and in heating homes with natural gas have spurred many people to pay much more attention to this issue. By looking for renewable energy sources, the planet can be saved and can stop being ravished for finite materials like oil, coal and natural gas. Also, renewable energy sources do not generate the kind of pollution associated with current energy sources - yet another way to help save the world.