Introduction
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reveals that scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is undeniable (NASA 2017). Initially, ideologies of libertarianism that human being does not cause climate change is now losing relevance as new and better discoveries on the association between human activities and lifestyle and climate are discovered. NASA, which is a leading organization studying how the atmosphere is changing, has revealed many insightful connections between climate change and human activities. There are many changes on the planet that should send shivers on each individual. For example, the sea level rise and global temperature rise is no longer a myth ( Santer et.al. 1996). There are also several pieces of evidence to prove that there is noticeable change in ocean temperatures, Arctic sea rise and glacial retreat. All these phenomena are attributed to the climate change ( Doran & Zimmerman 2009) . Eighteen other scientific organizations including American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Chemical Society, American Medical Association, American Geophysical Union have all come to a consensus that greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary drivers of climate change ( Cook, J. et al. 2016) . Initially, libertarians had stunted the efforts of the environmentalist by claiming that there is no association between human activities and climate. However, new technological discoveries are narrowing the gap between libertarian’s views and the environmentalist view. One of the technological discoveries that can help us in understanding how our day-to-day activities destroy the environment is the concept of ecological footprint. Ecological footprint factor in how different activities including the food we eat impact on the environment. The ecological footprint can help people fully grasp the entire burden that their daily lives put on the earth. Using ecological footprint calculator, the paper will give an analysis of my lifestyle impact on the environment and suggest some of the lifestyle changes I should adopt to limit the negative consequences of my lifestyle on the environment. Some of the aspects that shall be explored include the foot I take, travel, home and stuff.
Brief overview of my lifestyles
I used the Global Footprint Network calculator to establish my ecological footprint. I tend to eat meat products frequently. I also take dairy products almost every day. I do not eat pork. It is also important to note that half or my diet is based on fresh, unpackaged foods to the processed food is about half. The remaining half is based on the processed food. This is because most of my lunch diet is processed and the dinner diet is based on fresh, unpackaged food. Another thing worth noting as far as my diet is concerned is that most of the food are locally grown and produced. They are obtained within 1.5 miles. Another aspect evaluated in the calculator is the trash. I tend to generate most trash from new clothing and footwear. I infrequently buy new household appliances and entertainment gadgets. I also occasionally buy newspapers, books, and magazine. I also do not recycle my newspaper. I also infrequently recycle the plastic waste. I travel daily using the bus.
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Findings from the analysis
After completing all the ecological food print quizzes, my ecological footprint was generated. The figure below summarizes the findings from the analysis.
I was surprised to find out that if everyone lived like me, 4.1 Planet Earths would be needed to provide enough resources ( Global Footprint Network 2017) . I could not imagine that my activities are influencing environment negatively. From the report generated by the calculator, it is apparent that services contribute to 48 percent of the environmental impact. Goods contribute to 26 percent of the environmental impact. Food, mobility and shelter contribute 14, 8 and 4 percent respectively. From this, it is apparent that services have the biggest impact on my personal Footprint. This means that if I need to reduce carbon footprint, I should start by addressing services. The findings also show that to support my lifestyle, it takes 18.3 global acres of the Earth’s productive area. A lot of energy land is needed to support my lifestyle. The report further reveals that my activities and lifestyle releases 17.2 tons of carbon dioxide. I believe that most of these tons are associated with the fact that I travelled almost daily using automotive. In addition, the food I eat is often transported from the farms using trucks and Lorries. This means that for me to eat, a certain amount of carbon dioxide must be emitted from the transportation trucks. I also found out that home energy is contributing significantly to my footprint. I use natural gas, electricity, and fuel oi. The natural gas emits a total of 20,154 lbs. The electricity emits a total of 4,200 lbs and the fuel oil emits a total of 1350 lbs. This implies that home energy use emits 25704. The total emission from the transport sector is 3,874 lbs of CO 2 . The total emission from the waste is 1,031 lbs of CO 2 .
Strategies I can take to reduce carbon footprint
I can undertake a number of strategies to reduce my greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and waste disposal costs. First, replace incandescent lightbulbs with ENERGY STAR ® lights. The estimated annual savings is $8. I will also save the power in gadgets such as computers. First, I must continue enabling the power management features on my computer. I will also increase my household green power usage by all means. By doing this, I will be saving 252 lbs of CO 2 . I can also wash my clothes in cold water. This will save $30. In the process, I will be able to save 305 lbs of CO 2 . I will also use a clothes line or drying rack instead of the dryer. This will save $91 and also 940 lbs of CO 2 . I will also adhere to Energy Star products. First, I will also replace products such as refrigerator and furnace or boiler. This will save a cost of $38. This will also save 394 lbs of Co 2 . I can also replace energy star products. I calculated the amount of money I can save by engaging in these activities. I found out that I can save (8+30+91+38) = $167.
Conclusion
As indicated by the findings, human activities emit an enormous amount of greenhouse gases such as carbondioxide in many ways. Personally, I did not expect what I found from the calculation. I used to think that I am engaging in environmentally friendly activities. I did not know many things. For example, I did not know that the food we take could contribute to the carbon footprint. I also did not know that the type of houses we live, the means of transport could be factored in to determine individual carbon footprint. I am now convinced that human being is indeed the leading contributor to climate change. One recommendation I wish to make is that the environmentalists and the institutions in charge of addressing global warming and climate change should launch campaigns advocating for the mandatory use of Global Footprint Network calculator. It is through such campaign that the people can visualize how they are influencing the environment.
References
Cook, J. et al. (2016).Consensus on consensus: a synthesis of consensus estimates on human-caused global warming. Environmental Research Letters 11 (4); DOI:10.1088/1748-9326/11/4/048002
Doran P. T. & Zimmerman M. K. (2009). "Examining the Scientific Consensus on Climate Change," Eos Transactions American Geophysical Union . 90 (3): 22; DOI: 10.1029/2009EO030002.
Global Footprint Network (2015). Footprint Science. Retrieved from: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/become_a_partner/
NASA (2017). Climate change: How do we know? Retrieved from: https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
NASA (2017). Scientific consensus: Earth's climate is warming . Retrieved from: https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/
Santer B.D. et.al. (1996). A search for human influences on the thermal structure of the atmosphere. Nature . 382, 4 July 1996, 39-46
