E-Weekly-5/43
Green Earth Movement
An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice
Remember - “you and I can decide the future”
WHY CALLED
The term carbon footprint is how much carbon goes
into the air because of something done by people
(not by nature). Doing something that burns fuel will
make carbon dioxide gas in the smoke. Carbon dioxide
has carbon in it. Just as walking on the sand leaves a
footprint, burning fuel leaves carbon dioxide in the
air, which is called a carbon footprint.
WHERE IT COMES FROM?
Oil, gas and coal are called "fossil fuels" because they come
from fossils of ancient plants and animals. Those plants and
animals had carbon in them. So when we burn oil, gas, and
coal, the carbon becomes carbon
dioxide and goes into the air as
smoke. This makes pollution. It
also makes the greenhouse effect,
which means that the carbon
dioxide makes the earth warmer,
like a greenhouse. A carbon
footprint is the carbon dioxide
that is put into the air because of a person, a group of people,
an event or a product.
DEFINITION OF CARBON FOOTPRINT
A carbon footprint is defined as the total amount
of greenhouse gases produced to directly and
indirectly support human activities, usually
expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide
(CO2).
Just about everything
you do each day-get
ready for work,
commute, even
prepare dinner affects
the environment in
some way. One of the
most common ways
to measure your
impact is to determine
your carbon footprint:
How to calculate Carbon Footprint?
You don't have to use complicated formulas or
computations to figure out what your carbon
footprint is on a yearly basis. Try a hand online
calculator, such as the US Environmental Protection
Agency's Household Emissions Calculator or the
Nature Conservancy’s Calculator, which allows you to
calculate either household or your own personal
emissions. How do you compare to the average?
To remain as accessible as possible, most
carbon calculator ask very simple
questions about consumption. They accept
estimates of annual electricity usage or
mileage instead of exact and difficult-toprovide totals.
Carbon calculators
usually start by
asking for your location.
Regardless of your
personal consumption,
your carbon footprint is partly determined by
the state you live in. Some states rely more on
dirtier sources of power like coal; others use
larger percentages of renewable sources that
produce less CO2.
Most calculators also ask for the size of your household. The
calculator can then differentiate between your personal
carbon footprint and that of the house as a whole.
To determine the amount of CO2 produced by home
electricity, the calculator divides the estimated or exact usage
by the price of power in the
area. The calculator then
multiplies this number by
the state's emissions factor,
a figure that relates to the
type of energy the state uses.
Calculators also factor in natural
gas, heating oil and propane use.
Most calculators account for the lower emissions
of green power subscribers. Some power companies
allow customers the option to pay a bit more on their
monthly bill to receive a certain percentage of power
from renewable sources. This reduces the state's
production of fossil-fuelled power and helps develop
a green market.
Carbon footprints also
include the CO2 produced
by transportation. Most
people don't know their
annual fuel usage, so
calculators usually ask for
an estimated annual mileage and the car's make,
model and year. The calculator divides mileage by the
car's fuel efficiency to determine annual fuel usage.
This figure is then multiplied by the emissions factor
of gasoline or diesel fuel, which converts it to pounds
of CO2.
For air travel, some
carbon calculators ask
for an annual estimate
of mileage. Other
calculators account
for increased emissions
during takeoff and ask
for the number of short,
medium, long or extended flights.
After compiling all the figures, the calculator produces a total
CO2 output in tons -- a carbon footprint. Some calculators
even put footprints in context by comparing them with the
national or global averages. If you have the data ready, the
whole process takes the calculator about 30 seconds.
But what do you do after figuring out how much CO2 you
produce? In the next section, we'll learn how to knock down
your footprint a few sizes.
Reduce Carbon
Footprint
There is plenty of
advice out there on
how to reduce your
carbon footprint,
including taking public transportation, or buying
organic and local food. But how can your green
home renovation contribute to the reduction of
your carbon footprint? Here are a few ways:
How to reduce your carbon footprint?
Reduce What You Can, Offset What You Can’t.
That’s our motto, and we’re proud of it. Everyone has
a responsibility to reduce their individual carbon
footprint, and there are lots of
ways to do so. We encourage
everyone to think about their
lifestyle decisions and find
opportunities to reduce their
climate impact. You can get
partway to carbon neutrality through how you live
your life, i.e., reducing your carbon footprint.
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Car
1] Drive better - Studies have shown up to 30% of the difference in miles per
gallon (MPG) is due to driving habits alone. You could save more than a ton of
CO2 per year by:
- Accelerating slowly and smoothly
- Driving the speed limit
- Maintaining a steady speed
- Anticipating your stops and starts
2] Maintenance - Keep your car tuned up and
running efficiently.
3] More Maintenance - Replace your air, oil and fuel filters according to
schedule.
4] Tires - Keep your tires properly inflated (just this can save 400-700 pounds
of CO2 per year).
5] Make your next vehicle a fuel-efficient one - Check out EPA’s Green Vehicle
Guide for info on miles per gallon as well as EPA SmartWay® certified vehicles,
meeting rigorous air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions standards.
6] Household fuel efficiency - If your household has two cars and one is used
mostly for commuting, make the commuting car a real gas sipper if you can’t
for both.
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Travel
A lot of our emissions come from just
being inefficient or not deliberate with
our daily decisions. Every day think
about how you could reduce the miles
you drive and pretty soon you’ll start
identifying lots of opportunities:
1] Combine your trip with another.
2] Carpool - Just once a week saves 20%.
3] Check out your transit options - It may not work for you every
time, but use it when it does.
4] What about your bike? - Get in shape, too!
5] Only a mile? - Walk.
6] Think it through - Do you need to take this trip at all?
7] Get it on the Internet.
8] Optimize - Save this trip for later and combine with another.
9] Telecommute - Work from home occasionally.
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Air Travel
1] Think about the trip - Can you combine it with another or get more done on
one trip?
2] Train - For some trips the train may be a good choice for you.
3] Fly nonstop - Nonstop flights are better than connecting flights (for many
reasons).
4] When you get there - Do some research ahead of time to find better ground
travel options (shuttles, transit, trains, etc.) at your destination.
5] Lodging - Ask your hotel about their environmental commitment and steps
they’re taking to reduce, offset.
6] While you’re away - Turn your stuff off. Turn down your thermostat and your
water heater; turn off your electronics (even smarter: unplug them to protect
from electrical storms). What’s the point of things being on with no one there?
7] More tips - Take a look at these green travel tips.
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Home
1] Lighting – Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)
have that cool curly shape and save more than
2/3rds of the energy of a regular incandescent.
Read the box or instructions
for safe disposal.
2] Heating and Cooling - Keep your heating and cooling system(s) tuned. When it’s
time to replace, do your research and ask for ENERGY STAR.
Insulation – Weatherstripping, caulking and insulation work together to save you
energy, improve the comfort of your home, make it quieter and help you save money.
3] Water-Conserving Showerheads & Toilets – You can reduce water and heating
costs, even in your bathroom. To save even more water, turn the faucet off when
brushing or shaving. These simple changes and steps can save many thousands of
gallons of water annually.
4] Appliances – Always pay attention to the total lifetime cost, including energy—not
just the price tag. Look for the ENERGY STAR label .
5] Bigger isn’t always better - Just get the size you need; do you really need that extra
refrigerator?
6] Electronics – Likewise, look for ENERGY STAR. If you’re going away or not using an
item for awhile, unplug it to prevent “vampire” energy loss from electricity usage on
standby.
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Wedding
Weddings are all about the couple, but they can still be a little about
the planet, right?
1] Knowledge – There is a surprising amount to learn when it comes
to planning a wedding. Though primarily a resource for training green
wedding planners, New Wedding Planet is a great site for new
couples to learn the ins and outs of planning everything from cake
design to the elements of traditional or cultural ceremonies.
2] Invitations – Utilize recycled or
post-consumer waste paper for
all your invitations, thank you
notes, place cards, etc. Or cut out
the paper waste altogether by
choosing to go digital and putting
Save the Dates, maps, and reception
cards on your wedding website.
3] Flowers and Food – Same idea for both: make it local, organic and seasonal.
Almost all caterers and florists can help you with this, and you can get
educated by going to your farmer’s market and asking what will be in season
on your big day.
4] Décor – Let the natural beauty of your outdoor wedding shine or consider
using potted plants to adorn your indoor event – guests
can take them home and transplant them, as opposed to
wreaths of cut flowers that only survive a day or two. If
your heart is set on roses, get more bang for your buds
by reusing floral arrangements from your ceremony at the
reception.
5] Gifts and Favors – The Green Bride Guide had a wealth
of resources for finding eco-friendly favors from beeswax
candles to chocolate treats. For gifts, registering through
the Green Bride Guide allows your guests to support sustainable businesses
and even donate a portion of the sales to your favorite cause.
6] Transportation – The biggest carbon footprint from any event is the
transportation. Try holding the wedding in a location central to most guests. If
that’s not possible, use Carbonfund.org’s wedding calculator to offset the
travel and hotel impact.
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Office
1] Enable your power management - so your
computer and monitor shut down.
2] Consider using ePlusGreen’s PC
energy-saving technology – The system
monitors/minimizes computer and printer
energy usage.
3] Do you need to print?- Consider saving a file on your computer, in a
flash drive or emailing it.
4] Double-side print - Saves paper too.
5] Open up - If you have windows you can open, use them to
intelligently save energy.
6] Turn ‘em off - Only use the lights you need. If you’re using your
computer you may not need your office lights on too.
7] Occupancy sensors - Shut off lights in unused rooms. Better, get your
building to install occupancy sensors.
8] Bring your lunch - Or walk to the local eatery instead of driving.
8
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Life
Only 40% of the average American’s carbon footprint is due to
their direct energy use. The other 60% is indirect; it comes
from everything we buy and use—goods and services. Pay
attention to your consumption and waste habits, and you’ll
find lots of opportunities to conserve.
1] Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
You’ve heard it before, but it’s
still great advice. Manufacturing
products produces an average
4-8 pounds of CO2 for every
pound of manufactured product.
2] Stop your junk mail with the help of 41pounds, a nonprofit
service that contacts dozens of direct mailers to remove your
name from their lists.
3] Buy locally if possible. Shipping burns fuel. A 5-pound
package shipped by air across the country creates 12 pounds
of CO2 (3 ½ pounds if shipped by truck).
4] Eat less meat. If you’re already a vegetarian, you save at
least 3,000 pounds of CO2 per year compared to meat eaters.
If you’re not a vegetarian, just increase the number of
vegetarian meals you eat each week by one or two. Also,
poultry is less greenhouse
gas intensive than beef.
5] Don’t waste food. Mom was right.
About one-quarter of all the food
prepared annually in the U.S., for
example, gets tossed, producing
methane in landfills as well as
carbon emissions from transporting wasted food.
To conclude with
a quote from
Pope Francis
“Take good care of creation.
St. Francis wanted that.
People occasionally forgive,
but nature never does. If
We don’t take care of the
environment, there’s no
way of getting around it”.
This educational PowerPoint Presentation (editable) is
prepared by GEM Team (courtesy: internet).
For other similar GEM PowerPoint Presentations on various
environmental issues see next slide.
These PPTs may be downloaded from our website
www.stfrancisxavierpanvel.in
The GEM PPTs can be creatively used for various groups
like school/college students, NGOs, government officials,
Church groups, SCC groups, housing society members
and so on.
Zero Garbage
Solar Energy
Junk Food
Twenty Tips To Save Nature
Plastic – a boon or bane?
Green Passion
Soft drink – A Health Hazard
Waste to energy
Rain Water Harvesting
Eco-friendly Religions
Happy Green Diwali
Climate Change
The future of Biodiversity
Genetically Modified Foods
Waste Water Treatment
Give thanks, Give Life (Body,
Organ, Tissue Donation)
Organic Farming
Waste to cooking gas
Reduce, Reuse. Recycle
Protect Mangroves
Say NO to Bottled water
Save Lakes and Ponds
Forests are green lungs
Coal Mining and Ecology
Sin of Food Waste
Climate change and Poverty
Stop Water Pollution
Carbon Footprints
For Free Weekly GEM E-Newsletters visit –
www.stfrancisxavierpanvel.in – every
Friday. Go to GEM section,
click GEM E-NEWSLETTERS