5 Ways Your Family Can Reduce Their Carbon Footprint
Author Bio: Kathy G is a stay at home mother of two middle school aged children. In Kathy’s precious spare time, she enjoys helping her friends save money by comparing car insurance, taking long walks with her children, and painting.
What is a carbon footprint?
Historically, the definition of a carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, methane) produced by a defined entity, such as a population, city, system, or activity. Together with the more comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment, scientific bodies have been using carbon footprint to keep track of humans’ impacts on the environment, and more recently climate change.
Why does it matter to your family?
Supported by most of the world’s leading scientists, the increase of human greenhouse gas concentrations is credited as the number one cause of global warming. According to data published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007, the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 2.4 to 6.4 degree Celsius for the study’s highest emission scenario. If this increasing trend continues in the future, it will have a negative impact on the Earth’s ecosystems, among many other factors.
What can your family do to help?
Since the observed increase in human greenhouse gas concentrations is very likely the cause of the problem, one thing that your family can do is to reduce your domestic carbon footprint. Here are five simple things that your family can do right now to help the Earth:
1. Buy organic and local food – Whenever possible, buy organic and local food, especially your fresh produce. Not only is it a healthier option, local and organic food produces less carbon footprint because it is eco-friendly and it travels a shorter distance to arrive at a market near you. Due to the customers’ increased awareness of carbon footprint, most grocery stores have a large array of organic and local selection in store. An even better alternative is to shop at your local farmers market since it also helps out the local communities. Do a quick search online and you should be able to find a list of farmers markets near you. Finally, if you are really committed to the cause, you can sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program near you. The program works in the following manner: you pay a monthly subscription fees as a member and the designated farm delivers the goodies right to your doorsteps.
2. Say bye to bottled water
If you are concerned about the quality of the water, research shows that there is no discernable difference between bottled water and tapped water. The manufacturing process of the plastic bottles produces a massive carbon footprint. More importantly, plastic bottles are not biodegradable and they cause pollutions that last for hundreds of years. Instead, you should get a water filter and your very own stainless steel water bottle. You get the tasty water that you love and the ocean will thank you for it.
3. Commute or join a ride-share program
Tired of all the auto-insurance bills? Now you can kill two birds with one stone, saving money and the environment at the same time. Drive less, bike or walk more. Take public transit to work. If you must drive, join a ride-share program and carpool with your spouse or co-workers.
4. Use less electricity
Do you really need to turn on all the lights in the house? You can reduce carbon footprint by being more conscious about your electricity usage. Did you know that your chargers and appliances continue to use electricity as long as they are plugged to the outlet? Unplug appliances that you don’t use frequently and also turn everything off when you leave the house. A simple tip is to use a power strip and you can turn everything off with one flick of a switch.
5. Reduce (buy less), reuse, and recycle
A simple rule of thumb: if you don’t need it, don’t buy it. Reuse all your old household items. For instance, a used toothbrush can be an excellent cleaning tool for other parts of your house. Maintain a good relationship with your neighbor so you can share things with each other. Always recycle: put the recyclable items in the recycling bin and it is so easy that even a caveman can do it.
It is easy for you and your family to be part of the solution. Besides the five approaches outlined in the article, there are so many other small adjustments that your family can make instantly to reduce your domestic carbon footprint. To recap with one sentence: buy green, buy less, use less, and use again.
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