06Jul

How to Reduce your Carbon Footprint

Im sure you’ve heard the term “carbon footprint” thrown around a lot in the past few years, but what exactly does it mean? To put it simply, your carbon footprint is what you do on a day to day basis that contributes to carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. Why is this bad? Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere, and that means a poor polar bear standing on a pathetic chunk of ice watching his homeland melt is looking to you for answers.

It can be hard to reduce your carbon footprint, especially if you don’t know what it is that you’re doing to contribute. That is why today we will be discussing 5 simple ways that you can still live your life the way you like while also reducing your carbon footprint

  1. This one is for you speed demons. Did you know that unnecessary speeding or accelerating actually wastes money and reduces your gas mileage? It’s time to give that road rage a rest. Not only will you decrease your chance of a ticket, but you can also decrease your carbon footprint by reducing the amount of emissions your car pumps into the air.
  2. Turn off lights when you are not using them. This one is pretty self explanatory. Not only are you racking up the utility bill but you are also wasting energy, thus increasing your carbon footprint. Power plants contribute a lot of carbon dioxide to the environment. Try thinking about the lights in your house as a limited privilege rather than a vast and endless source of life that will live for all eternity. Because hey, nothing lasts forever, that’s kind of the point here.
  3. Is it drafty in here? If there is a draft in your house chance is you need better insulation. With bad insulation, you are wasting the hard work your air system is going through causing it to overwork and emit more. That’s just plain rude. Don’t make your air system overwork and don’t increase your carbon footprint.
  4. Did someone say burgers? Eating burgers seems to be America’s pastime and we’re not complaining! However, try and buy local/organic beef. The transportation of meat as well as the fertilizers used in non-organic farms greatly contributes to carbon dioxide in the environment. Look at this as a win-win-win. You’re reducing your carbon footprint, you’re supporting your local community, and you get to feel good about the environment. Three cheers for everyone!
  5. Unplug. Perhaps the most simple step you can take everyday involves something most of us use everyday, our cell phones. When you are not using your phone charger, unplug it! By keeping it plugged into the wall when you are not using it you’re wasting electricity and guess what else? Yeah you guessed it, increasing your carbon footprint. So do yourself a simple favor, unplug your charger and save not only your utility bill but the environment, too.

Hopefully you found these simple tips helpful and if you enjoyed this post make sure to subscribe!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Eckenrode

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