Worried About The Effects of Climate Change? Four Changes to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Staying in touch with the news cycles is something that plenty of people do on a daily basis. Understanding current affairs and forming opinions around them enables you to engage in thrilling and often thought-provoking discourse with others. Expanding your knowledge in this way is important, no matter how bleak our news cycles can often appear.

A variety of topics tend to appear more than others, as of late. Coronavirus, for example, has understandably dominated the news cycles throughout the world, and this trend continues to be the case. While that is how things look at the moment, there are also other topics out there that are being discussed throughout the various forms of media and which are reaching the broader depths of society. 

Climate change is one such topic and is something that has been on a lot of people’s minds in recent times. With the United States Government currently debating its biggest ever climate change bill, and the United Kingdom about to play host to a climate change summit for world leaders, this is no doubt something that is sticking in a lot of folks’ minds. 

Suppose you are highlighting your own carbon footprint and how this could be contributing to the effects of climate change. Rest assured, you aren’t alone, and there will be thousands of more people wondering the same. That being said, you are in the right place, for here, you will find some effective changes you can make to contribute towards lowering your personal carbon footprint. Read on for more. 

What is a Carbon Footprint?

For those who are somewhat unsure, this one is for you. A Carbon Footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gasses that are released and generated by an individual’s actions. Greenhouses gasses that tend to be generated include the likes of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. 

Knowing how much of these gasses you are generating can be challenging at the best of times. However, organizations like The Nature Conservancy have created helpful tools that enable individuals and companies alike to measure their carbon footprint. 

Using a resource like this lets you establish how much carbon you are generating, leading you to create a plan of action. Making changes in your life to reduce your carbon footprint is always recommended, but you might be wondering what this entails? 

Swap The Car for Public Transport

While this might not be all that appealing for some people, it is an effective means of reducing your personal carbon footprint. Particularly if you are a single-occupant vehicle, you will be contributing more so than others. But you can do things to reduce how much carbon you are generating, even if you have to commute to work or elsewhere.

Carpooling is always recommended, but swapping your individual journey for public transport is also recommended. Taking a bus or train to work will go a long way in reducing your personal carbon footprint and also gives you some time to kick back and enjoy a podcast or book before the busy working day. 

Adapt Your Diet

Another common suggestion, this is something that we can do on a personal level. When making changes to your diet to reduce your carbon footprint, you can take solace in the fact that these changes could also be contributing significantly to your overall health too. 

Many experts recommend swapping to a vegetarian or vegan diet to reduce your carbon footprint. The production of red meat, in particular, uses a lot of resources that produce greenhouse gasses. At the same time, cows also produce a great deal of methane, and these gasses are generated when they are prepared for consumption. 

Opting for vegetarian and vegan alternatives can go a long way in contributing to your carbon reduction, both in the short and long term. You needn’t worry about eating bland meals either, for the availability of these options has increased drastically in recent years. 

Change Home Heating Systems

This is one of the bigger changes you could make in your life, but one that will have a significant impact on your carbon footprint over time. Energy consumption tends to be the biggest contributor to carbon emissions. While nothing stops you from reducing the amount of energy you are using, this might not be all that suitable as we head into the winter months; the last thing you want is a freezing cold house! 

Swapping to energy-efficient methods of heating your home is an ideal means of doing so. However, while that is the case, many people find making this swap challenging, for they are unsure what would work best in their property while decreasing energy consumption without compromising on comfort. 

This report from Carbon Switch and others sum up what you should consider when changing the heating systems in your property. Go forth and make these changes, and rest assured your home will be as warm as possible in these colder months. 

Continue To Recycle 

Recycling our waste is something that has been commonplace for some time. Across the world, there have been incentives implemented to encourage individuals and organizations alike to recycle their waste, separating glass and other reusable items from those less biodegradable. 

By doing this, you are minimizing how much waste ends up in a landfill site. Furthermore, recycling and reusing items such as glass jars and plastic bottles goes a long way and could also save you money. Extending the life cycle of an item like this is sure to reduce your carbon footprint and is something that can easily be done. 

While this is not the biggest change that can be made in your life – purely because we feel confident most people would already be doing this – it can make a difference. After all, every effort counts in tackling the effects of climate change.

Overall, we hope this piece has left you feeling inspired and knowing what you need to change moving forward to make a difference in your carbon footprint. Whether you implement the suggestions above or wish to use them alongside others, the choice is entirely yours. Go forth