Ways You Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Regardless of your beliefs, climate change is a fact that even the skeptics realize, the only difference is that skeptics think it is due to natural causes while the majority of us know that we are responsible for it. Carbon emissions have a very real effect in the atmosphere and now is manifesting in more extreme temperatures across the globe, stronger hurricanes and floods, so it is important to know the impact we are having in the environment and to find ways to reduce it.

Your carbon footprint is the term used to describe the amount of greenhouse gasses that are emitted by your activity. Each one of us is partly responsible for the whole problem for using electricity or driving our cars, but there are several ways in which we can reduce the adverse effects we have in the environment.

One of the most important ways in which you can reduce your carbon footprint is to use your car less often. Cars are extremely inefficient and burn a lot of gas creating huge amounts of pollution. Only about 20% of the energy consumed by the car is used for transportation and only about 5% is used to move the actual passenger; therefore 95% of all the energy is wasted in moving the car, pollution and heat. Avoid this by using your car only when you need it. Buying an electrical or hybrid car or using public transportation would be wonderful as well; it all depends to your level of commitment.

Although avoiding using your car at all would be best, there are ways to reduce your emissions in case you need to drive. Try to get a small car, get it serviced often and replace regularly your air filter and lubricants. Accelerate and drive slower, avoid the rush hour and remove any excessive weight. This will help you save money on gas and reduce your emissions.

The way you use electricity affects your carbon footprint too, so reduce it by lowering your electricity consumption. Turn off everything you are not using; lights, computers, printer, fans, AC, TV or anything else. Microwaves are use energy more efficiently than electrical stoves or ovens, so use it instead every time you can. Hang your clothes out for drying instead of using the dryer, and if you are really environmentally aware, install a wind or solar system to produce your own energy.

Reduce your waste by avoiding products with excessive packaging, buying recycled goods, or reusing boxes and packages to store other items.