Do you know your carbon footprint

Carbon footprint is an issue that has been worrying environmentalists for quite some time, because due to greenhouse gas emissions the planet has become hotter, the polar ice caps have shrunk and there are more natural calamities. The truth is that we have impacted the earth’s climate in a very harmful way due to our living habits.

There are two types of carbon footprints due to human activity;

1. Primary carbon foot print which is the direct carbon emission done by a human being’s activity – such as fuel and energy consumption

2. Secondary carbon footprint which is the indirect carbon emissions, for instance if you prefer to buy and eat food products from overseas, it burns a lot of fuel to get to your table. It also relates to your fashion tastes, if you recycle or not, and even what you prefer to do in your free time.

Food Preference also means that if you like to eat meat, you would have a larger carbon footprint since cooking of meat takes longer than cooking of organic vegetables. Processing meat also takes longer.

Another significant feature of larger footprints is excessive buying of clothes and accessories, just to keep up with fashion.

Hobbies can be environmentally beneficial or not, it depends on what you choose. If you would like to race automobiles or speed boat you are consuming more fuel and that will increase carbon emissions.

It is imperative to know what your carbon footprint is so that one can take steps to reduce it. Reduction of carbon footprint is not difficult. Small insignificant changes in lifestyle and habits go a long way in reducing carbon footprint.

The car you use, the distances you drive, your fuel consumption can be calculated. How you heat your home, the air-conditioning you use also emits carbon gases. So does the food and other stuff you buy.

If you go online, you will find excellent ways to calculate your carbon footprint taking your lifestyle into account. To reduce your carbon footprint, you have to simply go back to a simpler lifestyle. You would need to start re-cycling, re-using and also returning to the environment by planting trees.

The best part in all this effort would be that you will also save money. Eating food that you grow at home, reducing your fuel and energy consumption would mean that you will be spending less money. Cutting down on your clothes bill and keeping your needs simple makes a positive impact not only on the environment but also your budget.