I recently learned about a new environmental term-—carbon footprint. Basically, it is the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions that each of us produce. I like to think of it as the footprint that we make on the environment. What kind of footprints will we leave behind for our future generation?
It’s amazing to think of all the different sources in our lives and how they can affect the environment. Virtually every activity in our lives has some kind of affect on the environment. Some are more obvious like the electricity, gas and oil we use in our homes. Our mode of transportation has another obvious impact on the environment. However, there are some activities that we may not give much thought to such as: Financial services; recreation and leisure; clothes and personal effects; and food and drink.
All of these affect the environment. What’s neat is that you can actually search online and find carbon footprint calculators. Simply input the requested information and it will calculate the amount of greenhouse gases that you are using. The more thorough the information you input the more accurate the results.
This can be done on an individual basis, but can also measure organizations, nations, events or products. There are some calculators that will also allow you to input information on just yourself or your entire family. I found the calculator to be a fascinating tool.
Once you find out how large a carbon footprint you are creating, you can work to reduce or offset your emissions through more climate-friendly ways. You may find areas in your life that you had never given much thought to that are greatly affecting the environment. Most websites that offer the use of a calculator also provide information on changes that you can make.
Bottom line: The smaller the footprint you leave, the bigger the benefit for the planet.
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