Leave footprints in the sand not in the air

A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product.”1 It is calculated by summing the emissions resulting from every stage of a product or service’s lifetime (material production, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life)

http://css.umich.edu/factsheets/carbon-footprint-factsheet

Footprints in the air

We live in a world where food, drink and anything electrical is easily accessible by the large majority of us. Fast food restaurants, takeaways, soda pop, mass slaughter and the ability to order or organise any and all of this online means that humans have become lazy and no longer think of tomorrow, never mind their future.

The problem with this however is our futures and that of our children and their children does need to be thought about and is otherwise bleak without a little bit of change and a lot of willpower.

Now I'm not here to preach, (well maybe a little) but, I am here to advise, inform and hopefully help you understand why change is not only easy but very much needed. I have compiled a few facts, a few rants of my own and a lot of advise to help you make footprints in the sand instead of the air. I have myself made plenty of changes and I continue to look for more ways to make positive change everyday.

The not so good facts

I will link any resources at the bottom of this article if you wish to read up on any further facts surrounding Carboon Emissions. But, in the meantime, here is a compiled list of facts I felt the most important for you to know.

• Food counts for 10-30% of a household's carbon footprint and only rises typically in lower-income households. The production accounts for a ridiculously high 68% and the transportation accounts for 5%.
• A vegetarian diet massively reduces an individuals carbon foortprint.
• Those that eat less carbon intensive meats also have a major positive effect on the earths carbon footprint. For example, an individual that favours chicken over beef, will reduce the GHG emissions per kilogram by 7.2.

• The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons per year!
• The average Global carbon footprint is 4 tons per year.
• We need to lower our carbon footprint to 2 tons by 2050 to sustain a healthy earth.
• One of the largest contributors to the impact on carbon footprints is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat and transportation.

As you can see, the future of our earth and the sustainability for us as a human race looks grim at best. But, there are plenty of things that we can do to change the negativity and help contribute towards the cleansing of our earth.

Positive change, me and you

By now, we all know how Global warming is a very real thing that is negatively affecting us all. The best chance we have of avoiding a 2 degree C rise in global temperatures, means we need to drop to under 2 tons of carbon footprint per year by 2050. No easy task but very achieveable through even the smallest changes.

I for example try to limit eating meat as much as I have in the past as this makes a huge difference with an individuals carbon footprint. I also eat more chicken than beef, which is far better for a lower carbon footprint, ( as pointed out in the bullet points above). I also don't travel on aeroplanes and I only ever dry my clothing on a washing line or my radiators when my heating is already on. Tumble dryers are both costly and an unneccesary negative contributor to carbon emissions.

A major thing that I have changed in my recent past is to conserve as much water as possible. I don't leave the tap running when I brush my teeth, I limit my time in the shower and I use a watering can instead of a hose pipe to water my plants and grass. I try to visit natural springs to gather fresh water and I even buy tough waterguns for the summer waterfights with my daughter, so that water takes a little longer to run out. She laughs at how tight I am but I tell her, "Why should we be cool when the Earth is screaming to be?"

One of the biggest problems that leave both an obvious and not so obvious problem on our earth is rubbish. Landfill sites are an incredibly high source of greenhouse gases and cause an abundence of pollution. The main reason for this is due to the decay. Every time rubbish decays it releases carbon dioxide and methane. Therefore, the best way to fight this is to be more self sustainable and buy less packaged food. I love nothing more than to shop at my local farmers market for fresh fruit and vegetables. Not only is there no plastic packaging or cardboard waste, it's much yummier too.

Now, if like me you find it difficult to give up meat, then try meat free days. Not only can it help to detox your body, it will also make you fill those meat gaps with extra good fats and nutrients that you get from extra fruit, vegetables and rice for example.

Footprints in the sand

So, I've shared with you a few tips, had a little rant and helped you acknowledge the facts. But, is it enough? Well it could be if you take on board what I have said, further your research and share the facts with Tom, then Dick, then Sally. Spread the world, push a little but not too much because let's be honest, if there is one thing humans hate more than anything, it's to be pushed into something. Even if that something will have a positive impact on all future humans for generations, upon generations and help save our earth from certain catastrophic destruction.

Make positive changes today, keep learning on how to make even more and try and self sustain whenever you can. It all helps. And remember, make footprints in sand and less in the air.

Thank you so much for reading my work and helping to push me forward everyday.

If you're feeling extra giving, how about a tip?

Resources

http://css.umich.edu/factsheets/carbon-footprint-factsheet

http://nature.org/en-us/get-involved

http://epa.gov

htttp://projectsolaruk.com