Introduction
The greenhouse gas emissions in the United States stand at 20% with less than 5% of the existing population. The above begs the question what would the situation be if the remaining 95% was living? The reduction of footprint via conservation and smarter choices made by consumers is vital but many remain far above the level of sustainability for the planet. The following paper examines footprints and means of reducing them by answering a set of key questions.
Total Carbon Footprint
According to the Nature Conservancy, I have a total footprint of 82 tons CO2 per year that is 14% and worse than the average (Climate Path, 2009). The value is an estimate of my total greenhouse gas emission or contribution to the same per annum.
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Surprise by Results
The results shocked me leave alone surprising me. I have always felt as if I contribute positively in ensuring a clean and safe environment. I was not sure I was going to score high points but the results were far from what I expected and really came through as a shocker and total surprise. The comment issued by the calculator on the results suggests that my score is worse than the average score implying that I am a major contributor to the adversity of the environment and a significant polluter of the environment.
What to do to reduce the Footprint
According to Goodall (2017), air travel serves as the most significant carbon footprint of frequent flyers. One flight to New York from London together with the serious effects of high atmosphere contributes to at least a quarter of the average annual emissions of a person. The most suitable way of making a significant difference is going by train or reduces the number of flights I take. I shall thus ensure to avoid traveling by air and only do so when necessary. I will also make it a habit to use the train more frequently.
Secondly, such emissions can be tamed if a person reduces the amount of meat they eat with the particular emphasis being on beef and lamb. It is a fact that cows and sheep have large quantities of methane in their emissions, methane being a powerful gas in global warming (Goodall, 2017). A vegan diet may contribute to approximately 20% of the difference in one’s overall carbon effect but cutting out in simply beef thus delivering a large benefit on itself.
Home heating is another way of contributing to the emission of these greenhouse gases. Houses with poor insulations must be heated by large chunks of energy. I observed that my house falls in one of these categories considering the loft and the cavity walls are not properly insulated. It is imperative that in the face of such a situation, one takes a draught proof house that is something that can be done without the help of any other experts. Houses that are made of solid brick or stone walls further benefit from the addition of insulation although the financial benefits are more likely to take care of the work done over a period of time.
Finally, driving long distances matters a lot and this is an area that I find myself needing to be more vigilant in. It is well to reduce the mileage of any average vehicle from 150000 miles a year to 10000 miles per annum as that will save more than one ton of CO2 and about 15% of the average person’s footprint (Goodall, 2017). One must think about leasing an electric vehicle if their existing vehicles come to a dead end. A battery car saves both money and fuel and more so when one drives tens of thousands of miles per year. The electricity that is necessary to charge a car will be generated as coal or gas in parts insisting that the electric vehicles are more efficient than the total emissions of CO2.
Biggest Challenge in Reducing the Footprint
I will find it a struggle to deal with reducing my meat consumption, reducing my mileage and reducing air travel. I think I am addicted to meat seeing that I eat meat almost three to four times a week. I love beef and this is going to be very difficult for me to abandon. I will most likely fall off track after a week of making the sacrifice and especially when around my friends with whom we always take meat.
Secondly, I will have problems using the train especially when travelling to distant places. I usually travel to a distant place once or twice a month and find it urgent and imperative to use air means as compared to other means such as trains. Therefore, I will most likely do well to cut down on the number of flights I take as compared to using other means of transportation. Lastly, I will not have an easy time reducing the mileage I take every month considering I always go for road trips with my friends.
Overcoming the Challenges
Overcoming the challenge of taking flights will be comfortably solved by reducing the number of flights taken on a monthly basis considering that will not be a problem. On the case of eating meat, I will enrol in a vegetarian strict diet program with some of my vegetarian friends that will serve well to keep me on toes not to fall off track once the program starts. I will find it hard for the first few weeks but will eventually progress. Lastly, I will join a martial arts program or fitness centre that will replace the road trips as part of my co-curricular activity ensuring I do not travel long distances.
References
Climate Path. (2009). Home Climate Path. Climatepath.org. Retrieved 5 February 2018, from http://www.climatepath.org/#
Goodall, C. (2017). How to reduce your carbon footprint. The Guardian, 1. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/19/how-to-reduce-carbon-footprint
