Plant a Tree|Reduce and offset your carbon footprint
Global warming has become one of major challenges of mankind and the environment today. Greenhouse gases released to the environment in great and ever increasing quantities are known to be the culprit. Carbon footprint quantification, analysis and reduction are key to preventing this, for example, by enhancing energy efficiency, mitigating carbon emissions by means of green energy.
Your carbon footprint is the amount of carbon you “consume” to maintain your lifestyle.
Here’s a few carbon footprint reduction tips I scoured over the net:
- Change your lightbulbs. Replacing three incandescent lightbulbs with three compact fluorescent lightbulbs will reduce your carbon footprint by 5,000 pounds over the life of the bulbs.
- Use rechargeable batteries to reduce your carbon footprint by 1,000 pounds over the life of the batteries.
- Replace your existing showerheads with low-flow showerheads to cut your carbon footprint by as much as 7,000 pounds.
- Convert your water heater to a solar hot water heater, which will eliminate nearly 200,000 pounds of carbon over the life of the water heater.
- Drive a hybrid car, and reduce your carbon footprint by approximately 500,000 pounds over the life of the car.
- Buy local. Goods and services that are produced locally eliminate untold thousands of pounds of carbon by slashing fossil-fuel-reliant transportation demands. Plus, everyone knows a tomato from the local farmers market is a lot tastier than the styrofoam ones your grocery store trucks in from 1,000 miles away.
- Install a solar photovoltaic system to run your home. Depending on the appliances you use, you could reduce your carbon footprint by 200,000 to 300,000 pounds over the life of the appliances.
- Install a wind powered electric generator.
- Plant trees to offset your carbon footprint.
We have almost forgotten the value of a life giving tree. If we can’t affort to buy a new hybrid car, or have our houses installed with solar panels, we at least can help mother earth recuperate by planting trees wherever there is a good place to plant.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and releasing oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. The carbon absorbed from the atmosphere is stored into their cells, making them a good “carbon sink”. Planting more trees will also increase the convertion of carbon dioxide into oxygen and thereby eleminating costly methods such as carbon gas containers being thrown into outer space or being burried deep into the earth. Planting trees is the only sustainable way of reducing greenhouse gases.
A good place to start? Your guess is as good as mine - at home.
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment