Do you know your carbon footprint?

How to measure and reduce your impact on the planet and make a difference

My aim in these monthly features is to help you understand and respond to the climate crisis, by guiding you through some of the main issues and approaches. Carbon footprint may sound a bit techy, but it’s a very useful idea.

A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual, household, business or activity. Typically, this is measured as tonnes of CO2. The reason this matters is that our modern society emits increasing amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, creating what is known as the Greenhouse Effect: high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere around our planet trap the heat, causing the rise in global temperatures. Something we are already experiencing.

If you do a web search on CO2 emissions you will discover that since the early 1950s, emissions have been growing rapidly, far beyond historical levels. Despite a lot of good work across the world to reduce emissions, 2019 is forecast to be the highest year ever: this is why leading authorities like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), along with David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg, and many others, are telling us that we are in a severe crisis already, and only have a few years to turn things around.

Although many other factors contribute towards the climate crisis, CO2 emissions are one of the biggest; it is also the one where our lifestyle choices can make a real difference. The point about knowing our carbon footprint is that it enables us to measure our impact, and to see how we can reduce it.

CLIMATE CHANGE: WHAT CAN WE DO?