Carbon Footprint

Put simply, your carbon footprint is the measure of the impact your activities have in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced. In recent years, there has been a greater focus on carbon emissions as they are a known contributor to increasing rates of climate change. There are a number of online tools you can use to calculate your individual carbon footprint.

Being conscious of your carbon footprint and making an effort to reduce it can be a great way of protecting the environment. Reducing your carbon footprint means your activities have less of a detrimental impact on the environment, and you can achieve this by making a few small changes. If we all made a little effort to reduce our carbon footprint, it would have a huge impact.

How you can reduce your carbon footprint:

• Eat less meat;
• Shop local; and
• Use energy-efficient appliances.

Another option in reducing the impact of carbon emissions is offsetting. Some people and businesses pay to offset their carbon emissions; this involves purchasing carbon credits, and the money from the sale of these is invested into projects such as reforestation and renewable energy. Offsetting carbon emissions typically reduces emissions more quickly than can be achieved by an individual or as a single business.

Have a go at calculating your carbon footprint here.

Sources: The Nature Conservancy, Takepart, Carbon Footprint