Long before I was reading and talking about carbon footprints, my English husband was erecting a clothes line (wash line in his vernacular) in our back yard, insisting on walking every day, composting our scraps, and filling our yard with trees and plants, which became over many years our beloved garden. He never mentioned the environment per se; it was just his English way of life. I loved the idea of planting, and I enjoyed our walks, but a clothes line? How old-fashioned! What would our neighbors think? Well, friends, on this lovely Earth Day, I want to thank my Patrick for introducing me to what we now know as reducing our carbon footprint.
According to The Nature Conservancy, carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases that are generated by our daily actions. A greenhouse gas is a gas that lets sunlight pass through the atmosphere causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. So, just like a greenhouse in your back garden, the gases warm the planet and allow us to live, but too much heat can cause great harm. The average carbon footprint for a person in the U.S., according to scientists at The Nature Conservancy, is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the average is closer to four tons. To avoid a dangerous rise in temperature of greenhouse gases, the average footprint per year needs to drop under two tons by 2050.
The question on your mind now might be how can we reduce our carbon footprint without radically changing our lifestyles. If you live in an area with sufficient mass transit systems, you have an advantage. I live in the Greater Houston area in Texas, known for its obsession with large vehicles constantly on the freeways. And more efficient vehicles and alternative fuel vehicles may be out of the question if you are already paying for the vehicle you own, and even if you're ready to purchase a new car, is this carbon footprint efficient car in your price range? You can see the problem here.
So what can the average ecologically minded person do to reduce his or her carbon footprint? Below is a list that you might find yourself able to do fairly easily with little expense.
1.Carpool to work if possible.
2. Reduce air travel.
3.Turn off lights not being used.
4. Reduce thermostats in winter; increase in summer.
5. Use rechargeable batteries.
6. Line dry clothing.
7. Plant trees. Plant anything!
8. Grow some of your own vegetables and fruits.
9. Buy produce locally grown.
10. Recycle paper, plastic, glass, metal.
11. Print double-sided.
12. Eat a low carbon diet--no beef.
13. If you must have red meat, try cutting down on consumption.
14. Go organic.
15. Stop buying water in plastic.
16. Incorporate walking or biking for fun or for short destinations.
17. Unplug devices when not in use.
18. Keep tires on your car properly inflated and get regular maintenance. Don't speed!
19. Use cold water cycle for washing clothes and do full loads to decrease water and energy.
20. Keep stuff out of landfills. Visit your local thrift shop to donate or buy. Have a yard sale, recycle, repurpose. Remember, your junk may be someone else's treasure.
Many of my readers have heard me say this before: feeding the birds in your garden will help plant new trees, maybe not precisely in your garden, but somewhere. You don't have to go out and plant the trees themselves, although that's not a bad idea. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and conserve biodiversity. That diversity is the variety of life at all its levels that sustains life on Earth, not only in a utilitarian way but an intrinsic one.
And the intrinsic advantage may be just as important as the utilitarian one. It is a philosophical mind-body concept that demands we have a right to exist on a beautiful, clean planet without harm to our wellbeing. Biodiversity also affects the relationships we form with each other and with nature. Our connection to nature reveals important information found in multiple studies over many years: people are happier and healthier when they live in a green environment.
Enjoy life in a greener, healthier way. Go for a walk today and smell the roses. And have a happy Earth Day all!
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