Every action you take in your day-to-day life affects the environment. Do you love your environment enough to keep it safe?
Kindly follow me as I take you on a trip down memory lane.
You were told in your science and history classes how the first man ate fruits from trees around him, used stones to make fire and had little or no use for technology.
Compare this to the present-day man, who has a myriad of gadgets at his home and office.
As man evolved technology-wise, not much has been done to make up for the adverse effects of these changes on our environment.
One of these changes is the increase in the carbon footprint of individuals, small businesses and large corporations.
Carbon Footprint surely doesn’t mean soaking your foot in carbon and leaving your footprints all over your kitchen floor.
It is the accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere due to individual or group actions.
This means that if John decides to take a cigarette break after lunch, he has joined the queue of those who have added greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the atmosphere for that day.
Emissions from manufacturing companies, power plants and smoke from the exhaust pipes of vehicles are some of the activities that increase the carbon footprint in your neighbourhood.
Examples of greenhouse gases are methane, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, ozone and others.
An increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere over the years causes climate change. The carbon footprint is one of the first steps that lead to climate change.
Why You Should Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
With the rise in global warming and climate change, world leaders convened in Paris to form The Paris Agreement for climate change. To achieve SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) 13: Climate Action, we must start by protecting our environment.
Not only starting but maintaining the tradition will help mother earth to recover from these activities which is the first reason why you must reduce your carbon footprint.
Other benefits include:
- Improve The Health of The Public: The rise in greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the environment has increased the risk of contracting respiratory diseases such as lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension, difficulty in breathing and so many others. A reduction in our carbon footprint leads to a reduction in Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) which will improve public health.
- Prevent The Extinction of Specific Species: Animals like the polar bear, monarch butterflies and turtles are affected by climate change. Reducing our carbon footprint is the first step to changing this narrative.
- Restore the Weather Patterns: The weather patterns have changed due to the rise in our carbon footprint; excessive rainfall, drought and the melting of ice in the polar region are some of the changes experienced.
Cutting down on our carbon footprint can be a game changer here.
How To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
The following tips can be incorporated into your daily life to reduce your carbon footprint.
- Practice recycling.
- Take a walk or join public transport to reduce the number of vehicles emitting harmful gases.
- Use a refillable water can instead of plastic bottles.
- Put off electric appliances when they are not in use.
- Switch to renewable sources of power generation such as solar and wind energy.
- Take advantage of reusable shopping bags instead of disposable nylons.
- Cut down on the burning of waste and vegetation.
A noticeable reduction in our carbon footprint can only be felt when these actions are done repeatedly as the years go by.
Remembering that the goal is to keep mother earth hale and hearty for the future generation.